Time's Mistake
by Storyteller1998
Summary: Hermione had nothing to live for. She was alone, the Dark had won and Harry and the rest of the Light were dead. Death was coming for her, to take her to all those she loved. But in an accident dueling the Death Eaters, her time turner is hit and she is sent back in time. Will she kill Tom Riddle when she has power over him or give him an option for repenance?
1. Chapter 1

Hope you like the story, review if you think it's worth it. I like reviews!

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

It wasn't fair.

Life hated her. It was plain and simple.

Ron was gone, Harry was gone, Ginny was gone, Dumbledore, Tonks, Remus, Sirius, Minerva, Neville, Luna... she was alone. Everyon e was gone and Hermione was alone. She had given up, after ten years of fighting for what was right, Hermione Jean Granger had given up and was ready to die.

She could still vividly remembered what it was like to be with them, could still see them laugh, feel them kiss her cheek, smell their boyish smell. 10 years of fighting and she would see them again. It sounded perfect, finally she would be free. The Death Eaters had won, the Ministry was non-existent and hope was lost.

All hope was lost.

BANG!

"_No. Not now! This can't happen now. I'm going to be with the others! No_." She thought hysterically. They had found her. "_Well at least I'm dead anyway... They've got me_."

The thuds of running feet echoed through the house, shouting could be heard outside, she was outnumbered, outgunned, surrounded... Dead. Hermione picked up her wand and turned to face the door, she wasn't going down without a last fight. Harry deserved that. Picking up her bag containing the marauder's map, the invisibility cloak, many a potion, pictures to remember the lost and a baby grow. A pink tiny baby grow.

She was going to take as many as she could down in her final stand. She wasn't afraid of death, had been expecting it for too long, but the bastards would get what was coming. It took 5 seconds for them to blast the door open with a loud "Reducto". And so the battle began.

Protegos, Avada Kedavras, Crucios, Diffindos, flew across the room. Too many spells and curses to count but Hermione stood unfazed. They fell one at a time, some dead, some unconscious as she attacked. She looked like a fallen angel, feral, majestic, deadly as she took down 30 Death Eaters. She, a child in comparison, took 30 fully trained men down and as she stood their breathing heavily realised something had changed. She was more powerful than 30 people combined? Maybe it was the adrenalin running through her veins. No that wasn't it.

And then it hit her. Or more like burnt her. Her chest was on fire and looking down saw her aged and beautiful time turner had been hit and the sands of time had broken free. Agony racked through her body, time was being absorbed into her very bloodstream and her vision blurred with tears, of distress and of happiness. She was going home to them! The pain was worth it to finally leave the place of no hope and be back with the joyous atmosphere of love.

"Home" Hermione whispered blissfully. The unimaginable ache increased and she lay down on the hard wooden flooring. She'd done what she wanted, she'd had her last hurrah, taken some or from the looks of it half of the Dark down. Content, she opened up her bag to look at the moving pictures. They all beamed out at her, there she was, hands wrapped around her boys. The Golden Trio.

Another picture and an adorable toddler with brown ringlets stared out at her; she was also there in the image, holding the child and visibly cooing to her. "Rose" she choked, "my Rose". She curled in on herself but not because of the pain, just because of the anger and self-loathing, her Rose was gone. Safe with Harry and Ron and Ginny and... And Hermione was alone. Dying all by herself in not only physically pain but emotional as well.

The pain was spreading, consuming her very essence and destroying her soul. Was she being erased from time itself? Was time killing her? Wouldn't it just hurry up! As the burning reached her toes Hermione decided she didn't want to die here. "_Why not with the others_?" and so she apparated to the graves. Leaning against a stone grave she traced the words with a blissful smile.

Harry James Potter

A light that shone out in even the most unforgiving darkness

May he rest in peace forever

"So brave Harry, how did you never give up? Will you forgive me for quitting Harry?"

The wind blew softly making her hair move but other than that she was still. The only noise came from her lips as whimpers broke free as her blood boiled inside her. And in the chilling cold Hermione Jean Granger lay her head upon the grave and closed her eyes giving into the darkness.

"Miss Granger... Miss Granger. Miss Granger" Someone was calling, their voice echoing distantly. She was tired, didn't they realise she was dead.

"Of course I do my dear"

Now that made her eyes flutter open. White. Shockingly pure and untainted white surrounded her for as far as the eye could see. And in the middle in his usual clothing regally stood Dumbledore, leisurely beckoning her forward.

"Professor? Am I in heaven? Where are the boys?" she called to him as she closed the vast distance between them.

"No my dear, you're not in heaven. Your... in limbo, not anywhere. You see, time doesn't know what to do with you. You have become part of time itself, and so have been given... a choice. "

"I don't... I don't understand Professor. What could possibly be my choice?"

"You are the smartest being since the founders, you can change everything, they could all live again Hermione, Harry and Ron would be alive"

"H-how?! How could I save them all? I'm dead!"

"No child, you're... an error that time is trying to sort out, if you make your decision quickly then time will have no alternative but to obey your choice"

"What do I have to do? I'll do anything!"

"So you chose to save them? To sacrifice yourself for them?"

"Sir? Sacrifice? I don't-"

"You chose to fight instead of see them again? If you chose this you will never see them, even your beloved Rose?"

"Professor? You aren't maki-"

"Such bravery, a true Gryffindor. There is hope yet. It was lovely seeing you Miss Granger"

"Professor! You haven't even told me what I have to do! You can't leave me! How do you know about Rose? She was after you died. Professor! Please!"

"Don't worry child, everything will work itself out, just you wait and see. I'll tell the boys you are well. Goodbye brave lioness, you will not be forgotten"

And with a starry twinkle in his eye Albus Dumbledore left her alone in the light, screaming for his return, begging for answers.

It wasn't fair.

The brightness was subsiding and colours started to blossom in every direction. "_What's happening?" _she thought as the colours changed to black and she was left alone in the dark, and with a sudden flash of light Hermione Granger was alive again.

But falling 40 feet and landing on a due covered grass by the Black Lake.


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! People actually read this! I'm impressed! Please review. Maybe? Ya know? I would like some advice.

**I do not own Harry Potter!**

Thud!

Hermione bounced across the grass before ending by the edge of the lake when her momentum had finally been cancelled out by her weight. "_That hurt!"_ she thought wincing as she stood to her feet. "_Maybe taking it slower would be a better idea_." She continued after stumbling even closer to the murky water.

"Stupid Dumbledore! I don't have a clue what I'm doing, am I back in my time or in the future? You could have given me a clue before 'reviving' me you old fool" she shouted into the night sky.

"now my dear, I am thoroughly confused, we have never met but you see to know me well enough to openly, and quite loudly I might add, criticize me. What is your name child?" a well know voice spoke clearly from behind her.

Turning round, Hermione saw with great shock, a living, breathing and definitely younger Albus Dumbledore. Quite un-femininely her mouth fell open in pure astonishment. This could not be happening!

"Headmaster! You're dead! You're dead! I'm dead! How are-why, I mean-but…"

"Well last time I looked I was quite alive, and so are you Miss. You look quite alive as well. You have confused me slightly as well, I am the Professor of Transfigurations, and the Headmaster at the moment is Professor Dippet. Is everything alright, I have never seen you before but you bare the Hogwarts uniform?"

With that innocent comment Hermione burst into tears and explained everything. How she was from another time from the looks of it, how the Dark had won, Voldemort was the Dark Lord that wanted to dispose of all Muggleborns but was originally named Tom Riddle, how all hope had vanished when Harry had died and how she was the only one left until the Time Turner had broken and been absorbed through her skin.

It could have possible taken hours but neither moved from their now seated spot, both mesmerised by her long story starting from her first year until the present date. "_Talking of present dates!" _she thought glumly.

"Professor? What is the date, when am I?"

"Miss Granger, today is 26th August 1944. The new semester starts in under a week. May I be so bold as to place you as a transfer student for the time being? I'm sure you could use the library as a brilliant resource."

"Yes Sir! That would be brilliant!"

"You look about 6th year, do you find that reasonable?"

Startled she looked up sharply "What? I'm 21 years old, I can't look like a child!" she all but yelled as she scrambled to the edge of the water to look at her reflection. Looking back at her was a younger version of herself but she looked slightly different, her hair was curled perfectly now, not looking like a bees hive, her features appeared delicate but defined and her eyes were now a startling unnatural violet haze. _"Violet, it doesn't make sense!"_

"Time has changed you I suspect; maybe you needed to look different for whatever task my future dead self set you" his eyes didn't twinkle, instead they clouded thinking about his unfortunate death. The poor fool didn't know the half of it. "Now, I shall take you to the Headmaster to be sorted, I suggest you tell no-one of your events for your own benefit. I believe you will be in Gryffindor as you said that was your previous house."

Standing up and stretching, Hermione gloomily followed the future Headmaster into the castle and after walking for 5 minutes arrived at the gargoyle. "Definite choices" was whispered causing the staircase to be revealed. Her hearing had improved dramatically as well as all of her other senses _"Perhaps Time has improved everything about me"_

After Dumbledore knocked on the door and snotty come in was heard beckoning them into the office. In what would be the greatest ever Headmaster's seat sat a man that looked a bit like a weasel. A very fat weasel.

"Albus? What do we have here?" Dippet questioned completely ignoring her.

"A transfer student Armando. You know that Grindelwald's troops have raided France now. This poor child was caught in the middle of a war losing both of her parents, she is alone, I was thinking we could take her in and offer a scholarship like Tom? She actually has more OWLS than him, a full 13 to his 12!" "_Grindelwald! The previous Dark Lord, oh Merlin!"_

"Really! Gracious child. We would be more than willing to except you" he stuttered gleefully. "What year will you be placed in?"

"_Dumbledore please! 7th year please, don't put me down in 6th!"_

"I think with her knowledge she should be placed in 7th. She will excel in every subject I imagine."

"_You beautiful man!"_

"That sounds acceptable but if you have any trouble you can always be placed in 6th year with the rest of the students your own age"

"Now, you have just under a week to explore the grounds and find where everything is before the classes begin, Albus and I shall arrange a schedule for you with all your needed NEWT classes as well as pick out some of the others, would you like to do the required 6 or the extended 8?"

Before even answering Dumbledore smiled knowingly and quickly stated "Oh I imagine Hermione will be able to do the full course of 10 like Tom."

"Ah right, we best get onto her schedule Albus, lovely meeting you Miss! Wait, you never mentioned your last name?"

Meeting Dumbledore's eye she cringed and begged internally for him to create a spontaneous identity that suited her. Turning Dumbledore sighed before stating "Delacour, Hermione Delacour born August…9th. She's quite young even for a 6th year but I think she will outclass even the smartest in 7th year, I think Tom has a rival."

"_Delacour! Really, Pureblooded and French. Just my bloody luck! Well done you old coot!"_

"Ahh! Now off you pop, you may have a spare room on the 2nd Floor until you are sorted alongside the first years, until then enjoy your stay and you shall receive your lesson plans on the first day of term, however no classes will be held then so the students can settle in, good night Miss Delacour." He rushed through before shuffling her out of the door.

"_Rude prat! No wonder you only lasted 15 years in office compared to 50 in most, well all, other Headmasters/Mistresses_" she recalled from the 1998 version of Hogwarts; a History. _"I feel sorry for the students that had to put up with you for 7 years!"_

Trekking longingly through the halls, she did not notice the many ghosts that had started to follow her. She did not notice their joyful faces at seeing Time itself. She did not see them whisper among themselves, even those that were the toughest of house rivals such as the Bloody Baron and Nearly-Headless Nick. She did not notice them at all.

6 days on her own and Hermione was finally starting to realise that she was alone. But her friends, her siblings in all but blood were not dead, they weren't even born yet and that single-handedly made her more miserable that she was in her own time. She had no-one but Dumbledore who she didn't trust fully, it was just he hadn't experienced the things that made him her Dumbledore, he wasn't right yet; he wasn't old and wise enough. Not that she couldn't trust him, he would never betray her no matter what but he just wasn't…

She was out by the lake playing with the baby Giant Squid, who would call her into the water to tickle and play with her. It was adorable, the Squid who would one day become one of the most feared creatures in Britain wanted to swim and play with her. It would sit in her submerged lap and cuddle her with its disproportionate tentacles, or that's what she thought it was doing.

Another of her past times was of course visiting the library to browse through the old tomes and volumes that had been forgotten throughout centuries. Dust thickly covered the spines and parchment within, but these were not the books she was interested in, no the restricted section called to her, drew her in to teach her the Dark Arts that had abused and tortured her. She was fascinated, what if she could learn all of that knowledge and use it to protect herself, if you know your enemy explicitly then out of 100 battles, 100 will be won.

"_Yes"_ she thought,_"_ _if I master them, Darkness can not hurt me"_ She wasn't afraid to die, but if she could change something, they would all live, she would sacrifice herself for them within a heartbeat. _"Sacrifice he had said, am I going to die? Is that what I must give for them? I would, I will!"_

The dead Dumbledore had made no sense when he rambled on and ignored her questions bluntly, cruel man…

Everything had changed, time, her appearance, her ideas and beliefs and still nothing made sense. Leaving the comfort of the deadly books Hermione travelled back to her plain and bare room, only housing a few pictures that stood proudly in the corner. The Marauder's map was a great use in avoiding any unwanted company as well as the Invisibility Cloak that lay on the back of her dark wooden chair that was tucked in by the desk.

Classes would start tomorrow and she would be Housed, not something she was looking forward to_. "I shall probably be in Gryffindor again but I can't bear to enter the common room and remember all the times we had inside. Ravenclaw would be my best bet I think, they are known for their intellect" _she already know all of the material they would cover in the classes and normally would have studied into the light of the mornings to prepare but she wasn't bothered now. Too much had happened to give a damn about classes that she would easily pass and most definitely be top at.

Settling down in her bed, she tucked herself in and closed her eyes. Images played across the back of her eyelids, things she would rather forget, things she couldn't because of the scars that lay upon her skin. Why hadn't Time erased them when it had changed certain aspects of her appearance? Nightmares had plagued her for years and would continue to do so for the rest of her life tortured her throughout the night, how many times had she wished for death in her memories? Too many to be able to remain completely attached to reality, to sanity.

Waking up in the morning was the hardest thing she had done in months, she just wanted to curl up and forget everything that had ever happened. Begrudgingly getting to her feet she prepared for the day, brushing her beautiful curls, charming her uniform to remain unwrinkled and putting on her old skirt- it was more comfortable. Hermione placed all her old and now new possessions in her bag, as well as sorting her new satchel for classes, before looking fleetingly back at what was once her room. Sighing deeply she walked to the Great Hall, placing her things down by the teacher's table.

The sortings were to be in the evening and until then she had no choice but to eat and read some more books_. "Preparing for the torture of the sorting" _she thought sadly. She was use to the blatant stares of individuals, but this was the 1940's and she was out of place. An outsider.

Time seemed to skip by just to aggravate her and at 6 o'clock a deep and colossal chiming could be heard echoing through the halls. They had arrived.

The Great Hall with all its magnificence and exquisiteness was terrifying her. Like a tiger, it was beautiful but could kill you at any time_. "Except it's not the hall itself but the inhabitants"_ Brushing and straightening her already perfect robes she saw to her dismay that her skirt was at least 6 inches shorter than everyone else's. Well that would draw even more attention towards her.

She stood outside as the first years were called and Sorted, anticipating her name that just would be called it seemed. Dippet liked to take his time. But there it was after a long 20 minutes.

"I would like you to give a warm welcome to our first ever transfer student"

"_Merlin's sake!"_

"She comes from France and has been moved here for her own safety after escaping Grindelwald. I implore you to not question her of previous events that have happen to the poor dear. She shall be in 7th year but has been moved up from her intended aged group of 6th due to circumstances."

"_Get it over with you old, ignorant, rude, pompous, cru-"_

"Please welcome Hermione Delacour!" with the end of that sentence she pushed the heavy oak doors open and confidently strutted down the aisles between the Ravenclaw table and Hufflepuff table. Due to her now advanced and superior hearing she could already take notice of the whispers spreading round all of the tables.

"Oh Merlin is she fit"

"I'd bang that! Supurion, how's about a bet?"

"I don't see that all the fuss is about, I'm so much prettier!"

"She must be intelligent to be moved up a year"

Like a wild fire, the words spread, discussions on her beauty, intelligence and other trifle things popped up from every student. Until a booming voice silenced them from the teacher's table and with that a calm silence flooded the hall.

"Now Miss Delacour, please take a seat on the stool and we shall place the sorting hat on your head" Dippet patronised. She gracefully continued to the stool before sitting down and crossing her showing legs. The boys in the hall were going to have a field day.

She stared ahead boldly as the hat was plonked on her head, and with a whispering voice conversed in her head.

"_**Miss Granger, I've been expecting you for quite some… time. You are in a very peculiar position"**_ At this she scrunched up her nose and sighed deeply unaware that all attention was completely on her.

"_I suspected as much, do you know what I have to do? They didn't give me any notice or advice you see."_

"_**No sadly not, you have a great but tragic journey ahead of you just like your past, how do you deal with what has happened to you?"**_

"I don't, it gets too hard sometimes my friend" she spoke aloud. Curious looks past between students considering what she had accidently said.

"_**Now to the issue at hand, what will it be, brave Gryffindor, smart Ravenclaw, loyal Hufflepuff or cunning Slytherin? I already know what I am going to put you in but what is your opinion?"**_

"_What's the point when you have already decided? Ravenclaw maybe?"_

"_**No, for the task at hand you will need to be cunning, witting, and loyal to a select small group, not everyone like before, only one house I can think of you will fit in Miss Granger"**_

"_Please no! I can't take it to be there, anything but that. How do you know of my task? You said you didn't-"_

"_**I lied, but good luck, the fate of the future rests with you. You are Time. You possess many great powers that will show themselves to you soon, be careful."**_

"I don't understand!" she whispered sorrowfully. "Why?"

"_**Why what Miss Granger? Give it time, everything will explain itself. Time is a great healer. Don't forget them Miss Granger, don't loose yourself in the darkness when you think alls lost"**_

"**Slytherin!" echoed through the frames of the Great Hall but Hermione sat there dumbstruck. The hat. It knew, blasted thing didn't tell her anything!**

"Sit yourself somewhere on the end table Miss Delacour" Dippet grumbled but she had only eyes for Dumbledore. What did this mean? How did this happen? "Miss Delacour, please go to your table!"

She had to make herself look desirable; she needed influence within the school to survive this time period. So with a forced delicate smile she glided over to the table and sat in the only empty space in the 7th year area. Smiling gracefully she looked at the teenagers surrounding her, in physical ages they were all older than her, stronger than her but mentally she had the advantage, the more maturity. Around her were 7 boys and one girl.

After the feast started, introductions were made and she learnt to her horror she was surrounded by the first group of Death Eaters. They had all introduced themselves.

"Antonin Dolohov"

"Abraxas Malfoy"

"Orion Black"

"Cygnus Black" Obviously brothers.

"Igor Karkaroff"

"Evan Rosier"

"Rabastan Lestrange"

"Eileen Prince" That was the name of Snape's mother. She was back in time with the mother of the most hated teacher, but Eileen was pretty, Snape must of inherited his father's genes.

"Lovely to meet you all, as you probably hear I'm Hermione Delacour"

"You do realise the whole school is interested in you? You had the longest ever recorded Sorting. Is it because it couldn't decide?" Rabastan inquired.

"Oi! Lestrange stay out of other people's business, we never asked about your sorting!" Eileen commented belittling him publicly. "Don't worry about him, he's just nosy!"

"Thank you, so what are the courses like, and when do we receive them?"

"Well some have a lot of homework and essays but it's not too bad and speaking of which our schedules have arrived." She replied as owls dropped hundreds of parchments by the plates of students. A startled cry could be heard from a first year whose parchment had been dropped in his bowl of soup.

Eating quickly, Hermione and Eileen walked towards the dungeons at a brisk pace, before entering a stone wall door after a spoken "superiority". They trampled through the common room to the dormitories and quickly prepared for bed. After a long conversation both retired for the night.

It was half one in the morning and Hermione couldn't sleep. Deciding to go to the Room of Requirement, she wondered if she should change from her night gown. _"I won't be long and I will bring the map to stop me from meeting any unwanted guests"_ she though plainly.

Bare footed, she strode quickly and quickly through the corridors and staircases to the seventh floor, before stopping in front of a wall and pacing three times to the thought of "I want to see my loved ones again" until a door appeared out of the stones. Smirking slightly, she twisted the handle and darted inside. It was just what she wanted.

Canvas framed the walls all containing her family, her Hogwarts family. It dated from first year until the last death. These pictures hadn't even been taken but the room had stolen moments of tranquillity from her mind to place in view. On a massive canvas that stretched over a marble fireplace were the three of them. The Golden Trio. Her brothers.

She wasn't alone anymore; she was back in the memories, remembering each action that had happened. Hermione laughed cruelly. These times were never coming back. She was alone actually.

A couch sat in the corner of the room, beckoning her to rest upon it instead of return to her room where she would be alone, lost away from happiness. Here she was safe. Settling down she closed her eyes and for the first time in 5 years, no nightmares occurred.

She was awoken at 5 by the doorknob turning and figure entering the room, his face was contorted with surprise at the findings within the space. Shutting her eyes to only a slither to remain looking peacefully asleep, she observed as the very tall silhouette travelled closer to look down upon her.

"_Crap! I don't have my wand, I only can do some wandless magic at a stretch, please don't start a duel now!" _

He stood for a solid 2 minutes peering down at her, then knelt down by the couch to look directly at her. Shutting her eyes completely, she felt the warm tinkle of his breath hitting her face. Then a nudge to her shoulder jolted her and her survival instincts kicked in.

She jumped on him and straddled his chest quickly while bursting to life a ball of flames in her hand. Her wandless magic seemed to have improved dramatically.

He looked up in shock at her before noticing the position they were in. Hermione didn't care at all, straddling him with all her weight kept him down for the time being so he could talk.

"Excuse me, would you mind extinguishing that fire and possibly getting off of my chest?" he asked politely.

"Explain yourself before I do anything, why are you here?"

"I wasn't expecting anyone to be here, especially the new girl I might add. How do you know of this room?"

"I am asking the questions here, you are in the wrong position to be doing so. Who are you and what were you doing?"

"Ah! My name is Tom Riddle, Head Boy and I was patrolling. Anything else?"

Tom Riddle. Tom Marvolo Riddle. I am Lord Voldemort. Killer of Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Ginny, Tonks, Remus, Sirius, Neville… Dumbledore, was sat under her at age 17 and she was straddling him. Her eyes hardened as she gazed into his, she was going to kill him. That was what she had been sent here for. She could save everyone.

She climbed off of him and held a hand out to his tall form after putting out the beautiful flame. He accepted it quickly but instead of getting up he pulled her down and climbed on top of her immobilising her movement.

"Now, what are you doing here?"

"Get off me now before I spontaneously combust your balls, this is your only warning Riddle. I will answer no questions from you."

She guessed he valued his manhood as he athletically jumped off of her stomach. Compared to her tiny 5"1 he towered over her at at least 6"3. He would be much quicker than her in all likeliness.

"How do you know of this room, you have barely been here 4 hours?"

"Do not question me Riddle or it will be your demise." She threatened before taking one last longing look at the pictures and striding out of the room.

"You are a mystery my dear" he said to her vanished form before looking round the room.

**Hope you liked it.**

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Glad to have had some reviews!**

**Thanks to Anon, thedeadscalling and Hermione Voldemort Riddle! Its good to know someone has read and actually liked it, I won't beg like other writers or say I won't update without reviews but seriously I could appreciate some criticism or advice I could use to make this story better for you. **

**I do not own Harry Potter!**

He had heard all about her after the feast which he had sadly had to miss, Dumbledore was notorious for his artful watching's of his select group so Tom had missed it to take attention away from his followers and instead to his disappearance.

She was the first ever transfer since the beginning of the founder's time. Longest ever recorded Sorting, smashing the record of 2 minutes 19 by her unnatural 13 minutes 58. She was very intelligent and had bested him in numbers of OWLS. That alone seemed like an impossible feat. But the most common words that had left their lips spoke of her spectacular beauty along side her tiny stature. Yes, his followers had told him everything.

She was an orphan like him. Alone in the big cruel world. She relied on no-one but herself just like him. She was of high intellect just like him. She was of regal descent just like him. From what he had heard she sounded like a female version of himself.

But was she like him? Did she like to have power over others? To hold their lives in the palm of his hand and decide if they should perish? Had she killed anyone? If so, was it on purpose, deliberate and well-thought out or just an instinct for survival? The fight or flight reaction. Was she like him at all then?

He hadn't expected to find anyone inside the Room of Requirement, it just didn't happen. Only a select few knew of its existence but he had never bumped onto them whilst inside the room. On black leather coach lay a tiny stunningly gorgeous girl fast asleep. Surrounding her and covering every wall space were moving photos, all staring down at her.

"_Why? Who are they?"_ he thought inquisitively, _"who are they to her?"_

The beauty was still oblivious to the situation, completely out of it. He stood above her gazing down, analyzing her delicate features. Dark brown and honey curls that framed a small heart-shaped face, that had cupid bow lips and a cute button nose stared back at him. _"I wonder what her eyes look like."_

After exhaling courageously, he knelt down to prod her in hopes of waking her quickly. Feral violet purple eyes found his while in the same second she uncurled and pounced on him. For one of the first times in his life, Tom Riddle was shocked; he certainly hadn't been expecting that.

She straddled him tightly unknowing that her bare thighs wrapped seductively around his torso. His attention was taken quickly away by the neat and burning flame that lay in the palm of her hand.

"_She's an expert in wandless magic, I've never met someone this good, even the old fool couldn't sustain such a wild element." _She looked like an angel towering over him, feral, majestic…deadly.

Deciding to remain polite he had started up an easy dialogue only to be met by blunt resentment, she held no respect for him. After she had removed herself from his person, he had hastily thought through a cunning plan. He was the one with the superior strength and size, why not use it? So he had jumped on her and returned the favour but withheld from crushing her minute form with this larger weight.

This had backfired dramatically. She had simply stated in a cool and reserved voice ""Get off me now before I spontaneously combust your balls, this is your only warning Riddle. I will answer no questions from you." This had shocked him more so than any her actions. Lord Voldemort did not get denied, you told him what he wanted or you would pay for it, sometimes with your own life. Then after a continued conversation, she had upped and left! Just glided out of the door without looking back once.

After she had left the room, he had thought back on his actions. Returning the favour and straddling the tiny girl hadn't been the best of ideas. _"She did have womanly curves though, motherly made flared hips and large round breasts that lay precariously under a thin and quite short nightgown."_

Her unnatural eyes spooked him, and Lord Voldemort didn't get spooked. Violet piercing eyes that saw through the façade, knew what he was, what he had done. It wasn't natural-human, at all. _"But so beautiful as well, they suited her magnificent persona and structural form"_

Straying away from his quite confusing thoughts, Tom looked around her room. The room that she had created in a place she didn't know_. "How did she find it? Who could have told her?"_ Pictures lined the walls, covering all but a slither of a cream wall. She was in the pictures alongside a raven haired boy and redhead with very noticeable freckles. She outshone them. Even from an early age, the brightest and most noticeable of the trio was her.

Another picture caught his eye, there had to be least 60 people in this one photo but immediately he located her in the centre with the boys. Hands around theirs, she stood proudly, daring anyone to challenge her or her obvious loyalty to the men. She was protective even though she was the smallest, weakest and from the looks of it youngest. She had that motherly eye on her, the one that always watched from the corner but didn't interfere until a big problem had arisen.

But there in the corner of the room lay a small silver frame holding the image of Hermione Delacour cuddling a small female toddler. _"She had a sister? Where is she now?"_ The toddler looked up at her and smiled a toothed grin. _"Quite a pretty child, I wonder where she is now?"_

After an hour of analyzing her photos, her life in the images, Tom left the room and returned to his Head dorms for an hour of sleep before his lessons began.

Violet eyes stared at his in his dreams.

After returning to her dorm last night Hermione could not sleep so instead snuggled up by the fire with her books. After a few hours other students had started to emerge causing her to return to dress and prepare for the daunting task of her first day.

Down in the Great Hall, she had started to walk towards her home, the red table before being tugged along by Malfoy. _"All of them are pricks, maybe this is where Draco got it from?" _

All of the other Death Eaters bar Abraxas and Eileen ignored her, which was perfectly fine with her! They discussed the theory of human transfiguration for 20 minutes before trekking the long way up to Dumbledore's classroom. She was looking forward to the Professor teaching her, Minerva was excellent but could rattle on about a single section for the whole lesson. She had heard he engaged all pupils, questioned them and awarded a fair amount of house points accordingly.

Sitting next to Eileen she didn't have long to wait before the gentle old fool walked in and in his wake was a structured silence of the students. Mesmerized, she smiled at Eileen who returned it with a smaller and more hesitant one as well as a raised eyebrow. She didn't understand, she couldn't understand it. Here was all that was good, she was safe here, not running and only stopping to get a bare minimum 3 hours of sleep every other night.

"Now class, today we will be working on animagus forms, I will not be expecting any results but you will need to know the signs of them to protect yourself in harmful situations." his strong voice boomed through the classroom. What? They had learnt about this in 4th year. It was simple stuff. Why was it being taught in 7th as an advanced class? Had the education system changed that much?

"Before we start, do we have any registered Animagus in the classroom? I can sense a very powerful aura from one of you that can only be caused by the changes that occur when the initial transformation takes place." He was staring at her already know she was one.

Eileen followed his eye line back to her and furrowed her brows in confusion but Hermione didn't see this. While she was focused on the teacher, Eileen turned around to the back of the class and looked into the left corner where the heir of Slytherin sat. She nodded her head to Dumbledore then back to Hermione with a questioning scowl on her face. He stared back at her and nodded sharply telling her that he had picked up on this fact, he then returned his structured gaze to the brown haired beauty that sat beside Eileen. Was Dumbledore insinuating something?

"Please show yourself to the class for a demonstration, it will not damage your reputation or your allegiance child."

"_Old coot! Always sticking your nose where it's not wanted. I can't have just one secret?" _she thought glumly before defiantly standing up and walking to the front desk. Gasps of surprise and some of jealously echoed from student to student. Only 1 in 10000 could become an Animagus and only 1 out of every 10000 Animagus could control it enough to transform fluidly. Sirius Black came to mind.

"Ahh! I did have my suspicions Miss Delacour, now tell us what your Animagus is."

"It's a violet Hungarian Horntail Sir, I can't exactly show it in the classroom!"

"Well class, how about a little field trip to the Quidditch Pitch?" Yes's burst from most of the students. Rolling her eyes Hermione got to her feet and barreled through the corridors to the entrance and out to the Pitch. She wasn't getting out of this one. In her firm concentration she failed to see the dark masculine eyes that followed her every move. She was more surprising by the minute it seemed.

"Everyone stand back, or better yet go to the stands, you could get injured when the spines appear." _"Or the fire!" _

After 5 minutes all attention was on her, she dropped her robe to the floor as well as her wand, throwing it onto the pile. She knew it was pointless to remove the clothes but it made her feel better. Closing her own violet eyes, she felt the tiresome looks from all the students watching her. She understood, this was interesting, they had never seen an Animagus before but the pressure was killing her.

And without a glimmer of pain she morphed into the fire breathing beast. Joyous shouts filled the area as she stood imposingly on the grass. Roaring loudly to her left to scare some of the students, she started to laugh. The looks on their faces. Every student looked at her with bewilderment, astonishment, all except one. How did she not notice him before?

Right now, she could kill him and fly off never to be seen again. It would be so easy, just one puff. They would all be safe; she would be willing to go to Azkaban for them. Just one puff-

A hand appeared softly on her thick scaled muscular shoulder, "It won't change anything Miss Granger, they aren't coming back, the dead don't come back." Why? She could have killed him, why stop her?

"_Don't worry child, everything will work itself out, just you wait and see." _Her Dumbledore had said. She just needed to wait for the right time, but the right time for what?

"Miss Delacour please change back. Class you are dismissed but I want an 8 inch essay on Animagus and what you just saw, Miss Delacour you are excluded from this essay as you have already done it and have actual felt the shift."

She was so hungry after all that work! It was hard to stay in that form for more than 20 minutes even when you had a placid and tranquil thought pattern. But she was disrupted by those children every second making it all the more difficult.

Her History of Magic class was nothing compared to the lesson she had done in Transfiguration and she didn't even bother to stay awake, she already knew it all. After walking into class she had sat down and put her head on the desk breathing heavily. It had taken a lot out of her. As consciousness was slipping away she saw a figure enter the dark classroom and make its way over to the seat next to her. The chair movement quietly and she tried to focus on the features of the face but sleep was already overtaking her. She was just so tired…

He had watched her in Transfiguration, she was impressive to say the least. A Hungarian Horntail, that was new, and a violet one at that. He could see the restraint she had place upon herself to remain in the wanted form of her companions. Didn't they see it was hurting her? Didn't anyone think about more than themselves?

He had History of Magic with her and had decided to finally properly introduce himself, but as soon as he had sat down she was asleep. The endurance of the last period had caused fatigue to set in and she was visibly wincing in her dreams. _"Damn fool, hurting her like that!"_

Dumbledore always had gotten what he wanted, apart from the answers he needed from Tom, and couldn't see the strain he had put her under he always interfered when it wasn't wanted or helpful. But this time, an innocent had gotten hurt in his quest for knowledge and Tom wanted him to pay greatly for that, he thought anyone would do his bidding.

The lesson was half way through and still she hadn't awoken. Was it normal for an Animagus to have to sleep after demorphing, he hadn't read it anywhere. Maybe she was ill?

After the lesson had ended he picked her up under her knees and around her shoulders, she was… so little! How would he know how much force to use without breaking her? It would be so easy. He carried her to the Head dorm and into his room then placed her on his bed. He had only known her a day but he worried. She was special. She was important. But more importantly she would be his.

He called a house elf to bring food and sat in his armchair watching her, studied how she would twist away from an unseen object but embrace something the next second. Even in her sleep she was a mystery.

He was protective of her already and he didn't understand his own feelings. It wasn't love or affection. Loyalty? Like he had been bound to her by life itself. He had only felt this much protectiveness for his horcruxes but this was so much more…potent.

Looking down he realized he would have to wait for some of his answers that lay in the brain of Hermione Delacour.

**Please review and you will be mentioned in the top of the next chapter.**

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	4. Chapter 4

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* * *

They were calling to her in her dreams, begging her to wake up back where she belonged. They didn't understand. What she was going to do was for them! She would save them; she would bring them all back! Even if she wasn't there they would be alive, there wouldn't be a war and they wouldn't know of her. She would disappear, never have existed in that time. They would never know of her and all she had done. She cried mercilessly at that thought. After all she would do they would never know of it? What she had given up? All the years she was alone but fighting for them?

Death sounded better than this, knowing all that would be lost when she complete what she thought was her task. She would be without them but they wouldn't be without her. She never would have been there. The agony of knowing this could drive one insane. Maybe she already was with all that had happened over the last 10 years. Maybe this all was a dream? No, her life wasn't that simple. It was never going to be fair to her.

She remembered back 5 years, back to the hunt for the horcruxes. She had danced with Harry when Ron had left them, one of the only times in that year she had felt peace with her brother. Her brother, her Harry Potter. Ron had returned and they had destroyed the locket before they were captured. She never told them the full extent of the torture, what had been done to her. It was the first of many captures she had had to endure.

Hermione didn't want to wake up, even leaving the agony she had been forced to endure was better than waking up, she was with her boys, the rest of the Golden Trio. She was safe with them in her dreams.

* * *

Opening her eyes she realised she was in a place she didn't know. Not at all. Through the slimmer of the curtains that remained open to her left she could see that it was already dark. Thank Merlin she didn't have any afternoon classes that day! But where was she? Sitting up she noticed the soave of the room. In dark and mid tone greens, the whole room looked like the kingdom of Slytherin himself. The four-posted bed she sat on was made of the finest wood and sheeted in black silk. _"Someone paid a pretty penny for this!" _

Sliding off the very tall bed which caused her to stumble, why anyone would want a bed that high she didn't know, she sauntered to the only obvious door located in the corner of the room. But was stopped after only a few paces by a pale hand that had shot out and enclosed around her forearm. _"What the hell? When did he get here?"_

Following the hand up the arm to the chest then to the head she found herself looking directly into Tom Riddle's highly amused eyes. Where the hell was she? And why was she with this bastard?

"Miss Delacour, you fell asleep after your show in Transfiguration in History of Magic, so I carried you here to rest in peace instead of you being disturbed by the chatter of the other Slytherins. You are in the Head Boy's room at the moment and have been resting for…5 hours now as it is 11 o'clock." He spoke calmly watching her with obvious interest.

"Why in your dorms Riddle? You could have taken me to my own, seeing as you have an all access pass. I don't like being alone in a room with a boy who I do not know a thing about." _"Other than him being a megalomaniac and set on mass genocide."_

"I am sorry if I have caused you discomfort" _"Yeah right! You twat!" _"How about we carry on this discussion down in the common room if you are upset to do so in this room?"

"Sounds like a plan Riddle." They walked quickly to through the door and sat down on the green and yellow sofas. Quite distasteful.

"I can see you admiring the décor. Hideous colour scheme wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes defiantly, couldn't they have used black if the Head Girl is a Hufflepuff?"

"I think that every time I enter. May I ask why you felt fatigue after morphing into your dragon form? I have read a lot about Animagi and there is nothing about the side effect you felt."

When she, Harry and Ron had first become Animagus' they had also sort out answers for her fatigue. She had to complete a charm before to sustain the form but it was so worth it. They would patrol for hours on end in their forms; the charm helped her to keep the magic of the creature from absorbing her own. That was the problem with having the Animagi of a magical creature, they had to use more energy or perform the charm. She had forgotten to do so in the haste of showing the students… and Dumbledore. But it affected her more than any other magical creature Animagi because of the size of the creature. The larger it was the more energy you had to channel and the more you were drained without the charm.

"As you know my form is that of a Hungarian Horntail, due to its large form it drains me to sustain it if I haven't performed a charm to counteract the magic that does that. I didn't charm myself against it so it sapped my magic from me."

"Oh? I also thought you couldn't have a magical creature as a form?"

"No no no, they are just so much rarer, only a few happen every 1000 years, I have two other friends who are Animagi but I am the only one magical and of such a vast size. One is a raven and the other, a leopard."

"How do you become one?" he inquired digging for secrets she could not tell.

"I cannot tell you sorry; a trained Animagus is not allowed to tell someone how to complete the transformation, it goes against all the rules set back 10 millennia. Let's go on to a different subject. I'm Hermione Delacour; tell me about yourself Tom Riddle."

No one had ever wanted to know him, but then again she was different, important, and something unusual. "Well I'm 17 only a few months short of 18, I have no family, I have a familiar, a snake called Nagini, I like butterbeer and I like liquorice wands. What about yourself Delacour?"

"I also have no family and have just turned 16 in August but am apparently smart enough to be in your year, I fought in the war against _"YOU!"_ Grindelwald and lost everyone. I am alone here. I had a half-kneazle called Crookshanks but I lost him, I hate liquorice but love sugar Quills. I am also taking the full 10 courses but apparently only one other in the year is taking it."

"That would be me, what are you taking?"

"Oh! Well, Advanced Transfiguration, Advanced Arithmancy, Advanced DADA, Top Care of Magical Creatures which I bet I will have to do a demonstration in sadly, Advanced Charms, History of Magic, Advanced Potions, Advanced Herbology, Advanced Ancient Runes and Auror/Law Enforcement. What about you Riddle?"

He looked impressed, not only was she younger than everyone, she was taking all advanced classes that were offered and 10 of them just like him. "I am taking all the same part from Advanced Divination instead of Herbology."

"Now that I know you are in my classes I shall have to keep an eye out for you. What is your favourite subject? Mine is DADA!"

A female liking a class of duelling? She was probably going to be the only girl in it as all others had taken Household Charms to prepare for being future wives. She certainly didn't want to be one from the looks of it, instead looking to have a career than bring up some annoying baby. But then again, she would definitely be proposed to throughout the year with her beauty even though she was younger than them all.

"I don't really have a favourite; they are all useful in different ways."

"How boring Riddle…"

They talked for hours and she actually found she enjoyed him company, he could hold an intelligent conversation and she found he had many interesting aspects. She knew lots about him by the end of the conversation. They had moved to the kitchenette table to have a mug of tea an hour ago and after finishing her cup she turned to him again.

"Now that I know you and consider you a friend, would you be terribly kind to direct me to the Slytherin Common room? I haven't the foggiest where I am in the castle."

She considered him a friend after a 3 hour conversation? What a strange child. But now, he had a friend, someone who knew things about him, understood him better than others, it was his first in 17 years! She was his first ever friend!

"I shall walk you Hermione, you never know the people who prowl the castle at night looking for unsuspecting victims." Well that sounded a little dark even to him, had he just hinted on a serial rapist or murder?

"Thanks Riddle!" she smiled brightly. Before dragging him out of the portrait and along the right corridor. He stopped her smirking knowingly.

"What?"

"You're going the wrong way my friend." He replied chuckling deeply_. "His laugh is pretty."_

Dragging her the opposite way he stuck his arm out to her which she hesitantly accepted before starting the 5 minute stroll to the Common room. It was dark in the corridors and when they arrived and opened the Slytherin lair the light streamed through to the outside.

"Bye Riddle. We have Potions first thing and I am going to beat you so bad you're going to have to scrap yourself off the floor."

"_What pretty language."_ he thought. "No my dear, you're going to see the master at work! Go! Sleep! You only have a few hours before breakfast." And with that he took off back to his own rooms. Staring at his retreating form Hermione thought back on their friendly chatter, she had had a polite and civil conversation with Voldemort! Why didn't she kill him when no one was there? She had the chance!

"_I just wanted to understand him better before I do it!"_ she thought coolly. That was it! Plus he was intellectual conversation and she hadn't had that in years, it interested her to actually have someone's opinion on a subject instead of just thinking and analyzing something. That was all!

Tucking herself in bed Hermione glanced over at Eileen who was snoring softly. She was safe here. Nothing could hurt her, death didn't scare her and she had no one left to loose, to be tortured until she submitted. She was safe. That thought repeated continuously as she drifted off to sleep.

She was awoken by a repetitive prodding to her side, she grabbed the culprit and thrusted her wand to their neck causing them to choke back a cry. Eileen had only wanted to wake her for breakfast and this is how she was treated? She was never doing that again!

Realising it was her new friend she quickly removed her wand and hastily apologised stating that she had been in a war and it was now instinctual. Eileen looked at her in pity but masked it with sympathy; she had had that look too often.

They got ready together and Hermione told her she had made a new friend, Tom which Eileen took well saying he was very nice if a little dark. She didn't know how to reply to that so just stated she was ready and they walked to the Great Hall together. The tables were already filled with both food and children as they walked and took their places by the rest of the seventh years. Abraxas was already rattling on about Slughorn as they sat down. He said he was the Head of Slytherin and was really lenient on the rules and when housed his Slug Club allowed Fire Whiskey to be past round as well as cigars sometimes.

"_Stupid Slughorn, fat pompous and held terrible parties which I've had to suffer through with McLaggen."_

"Hello Hermione." Said a voice she recognised instantly that came from directly across the table from her. Looking up she smiled brightly at Tom Riddle and continued to eat her croissants after a quick "Hello Riddle."

Banter started between them after that and they discussed the upcoming class, apparently he always set a challenging potion after they returned from the holidays. She was looking forward to it. They left together after eating, which didn't escape two peoples notice. Albus watched knowingly while Eileen observed scared for her new friends safety, she didn't know the things that monster that done!

Arriving at the dungeon they walked into the classroom while housed a slimmer and also head hairier Horace Slughorn. He looked much healthier than in her time. When all other students were there, Slughorn placed them in designated seats bar her who went by the only seat left, next to Slughorn's star pupil Mr Tom Riddle.

His snobbish voice rebounded from all the walls "Today class for a challenge I would like you to create the Draught of Living Death. Do any of you know what this is?"

Instantly Hermione's arm flew up. They had done this in 6th year, it was easy stuff!

"Yes Miss Delacour? Do you have a problem?"

What? She knew the answer! Was this place anti-female? Well she was going to teach the idiot a lesson!

"No Professor I know the answer!"

"Oh?! Well umm… Go ahead then dear."

"The Draught of Living Death brings upon its drinker a very powerful sleep that can last indefinitely. They are placed in a coma-like state that can mimic the effects of a death slumber, the main ingredients include: Powdered root of Asphodel, Valerian Root, infusion of Wormwood and Sophophorous Bean."

"W-well, that was perfect Miss, 30-30 points so Slytherin. Now each of you should have tried by the end of the lesson to complete the potion and I shall come round at the end to take a look, best one will be awarded 100 House points!" With that students burst to life running to get the ingredients, while she grabbed an ingredients basket while many had forgotten, instead scramming precariously the things into their arms.

She set up the cauldron and added the first ingredients quickly and precisely. When it came to the beans she cheated and used the instructions from the Half-Blood Prince's book and crushed the beans to get more juice. Looking around she saw students weren't even half way get and were struggling terribly. It was pitiful to watch.

Looking next to her she found Riddle was on the same bit as her and wasn't getting much juice from the beans. She was going to beat him tremendously!

Then stirring anti-clockwise seven times then one clockwise, another tip from the book, before she added the Valerian Root. It looked just like Harry's did all those years ago, moving on its own accord and the colour of obsidian black. She turned the heat off and waited for Slughorn to come round to her table.

Tom had just finished she saw and had made a brilliant unedited version of the draught, it was good but nowhere near as excellent as hers! Slughorn came marching over to his star pupil and congratulating him for his 'superb' potion telling the class they need to make a potion this good.

Tom looked over at Hermione, she was sat leisurely back uninterested, and he didn't understand it. Why hadn't she congratulated him like everyone else? Then he looked in her cauldron and gave a undignified gasp.

"Professor Slughorn." He called making the man glance over, he always looked out for his star pupil, "You might want to take a look at Miss Delacour's potion."

"Has the dear messed it up terribly? I'm sure you ca-Miss Delacour! How on Earth did you make this?!" in front of him was the best Draught of Living Death he had ever seen! Even the Potion Masters he had befriended had never created such an excellent version of it.

"I've always been good at potions Sir. This is just one of many I'm good at." Take that smug asshole.

"I know we have the winner of the competition here! Miss Delacour 100 points to Slytherin! I would also like to invite you to the Slug Club, you will be the first female participant we've ever had. Please accept!"

"Of course Sir! It would be an honour_." "Merlin sake! I hate that club, what have I done?"_

Turning to look at Tom she raised an eyebrow and nodded toward Slughorn who had waddled off to a student who had turned them and the poor individual next to them vibrant pink.

"Is it any good? What do you get up to?" Is it better that in her time? _"Please be!"_

"Well normally people take dates but a few lucky people don't, it's quite formal so you have to wear formal robes and normally half the guests get smashed off their faces when he brings out the alcohol. He invites some really important people though so you get some really intellectual conversations out of it. I don't mean to be rude as I'm completely fine with female rights but you're really lucky he invited you, you're the first and probably only one he will invite because he's quite sexist."

He won't be in 40ish years. "Thanks Riddle, now all I have to do is find a date. That's going to be quite hard."

"Why? It's not like your ugly; it should be quite easy in fact."

"Your good at this friendship stuff, please keep going with the complements!"

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, you understand what I'm saying though, you've probably got hundreds from all years waiting for you especially now that they know you're intelligent, rumours spread like wild fires here."

"Brilliant! Just my luck and no, I don't have people lining up round the corner for a date with me and quite frankly I'm glad about that! It would be very annoying and unproductive; they'd get in the way."

"Just you wait Hermione, by lunch I expect over ten proposals ranging from 5th years to our own."

"Will you put your money where your mouth is Riddle? I suggest a bet!"

"I accept as it will be easy on my part, when I win you must get drunk with me, I imagine you will be highly amusing. If it makes you happier no one else will have to be there to witness your actions apart from me."

"And if I win, you have to announce in the Great Hall your undying love for Dumbledore stood on the table, are you sure you want to partake in this bet now?"

"I'm not going to back down when I know I'm going to win! I shall get the Fire Whiskey ready tonight!"

"What do we have next Riddle?"

"Changing the subject? We have Care of Magical Creatures, you better use that charm beforehand when you have to do your demonstration."

"I hate you."

"I realize."

They had packed up all their equipment and had left the room after Slughorn had personally bottled her potion to show to all the other Professors. Probably to show off to all the other Professors that didn't have her in their classes.

When walking to the next class Hermione received her first proposal, much to her annoyance, but her new friend burst out laughing after seeing the shock on her face. Arriving at class she encountered her next proposal from a Ravenclaw she hadn't even met before. By the end of the class, which she didn't pay any attention to because she was so disturbed from the men inquiring about her marriage status, she was on a total of 6. Tom was probably going to win with from the looks of it. Every time they had come up to her he was rolling around on the floor with tears of laughter, while she had to... politely decline.

When they left for lunch two more came but one was more... surprising than any of the others so far, it was a female from their year in Hufflepuff. This had kept Tom laughing for a good ten minutes as Hermione had stood there in shock... For 5 minutes staring. By the end of lunch after eating she had had a startling twenty-one.

"Told you you were desirable."

"Don't remind me..." she grumbled.

"Seeing as I won, let's go up to my dorm and crack open the Fire Whiskey!"

"Its two o'clock. It's that a little bit early to get drunk?"

"Your right, how about tonight at 10? After curfew so every ones asleep."

"Ok as long as I don't have to do it on an empty stomach or you shall see the consequences."

"You finished eating? We have DADA next, your favourite class if I remember correctly."

"Yep! Let's go! I wonder what the class is like."

"You won't find it difficult Hermione." He stated as they walked to the classroom and were greeted by Professor Merrythought, an aging woman that held herself with great power and finesse.

After entering they found no desks but a dueling platform so simultaneously they turned to question the Professor who stated everything would be explained when the rest had arrived. Ten minutes later she walked to the front of the class.

"Today for a little bit of fun we will have a contest, but genders will remain apart, dueling their own until we have two victors who will finish the lesson with the last fight. Now, separate yourselves and write your name on that wall over there so it can pair you up with someone." With that everyone kicked into action, scribbling their names on a white paper wall. Tom looked over at Hermione and nodded once before strolling over and scrawling his own name neatly. She also did the action and waited in the middle of the room as it decided partners.

The names Abraxas Malfoy and Cygnus Black appeared gold in their own writing in the middle of the room in front of the class and they walked to the platform before starting the procedure for the duel. It lasted 5 minutes and was seriously just them throwing back and forth Stupefy's and basic stuff like Tarantallegra or Locomotor Mortis. It was quite boring for Death Eaters to be doing such trivial spells. In the end Abraxas disarmed Black and the duel ended_."Thank Merlin."_

Hermione had her first duel and was very disappointed when it ended after 3 seconds when she threw the first spell, an Expelliarmus, and the witch's wand landed fluidly in her hand. Throughout the contest it continued like this until she was the victorious female and Tom the male. Should she just let him win to stop suspicion? _"No way in hell! I'm going to smash Voldy Junior."_

They walked up together and stood in the middle of the platform.

"Want me to take it easy small one?"

"Bring it on my friend!"

And so the greatest dueling battle Hogwarts had ever seen began...


	5. Chapter 5

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**I do not own Harry Potter!**

She stood staring at him as chatter erupted around them in anticipation, in that moment it hit her, she could save them all without killing him! The poor child had never had a true friendship or love; she could give him an honest and pure friendship and try to change him. If that didn't work then plan A could always come back into action…

He was looking into her eyes watching all the emotions swirl round, she was confused and he didn't have a clue why. She was staring at him in blank realisation, but of what? Should he try Legilimens on her? No, she was his friend and that would be a break of trust.

She could save them! Stop him from turning completely to the Dark Side; make him the person he would have been before the darkness overcame him. But first, she was going to beat him in this duel and make it known how powerful she was. She would beat him and become the Princess of Slytherin!

They were waiting, apparently quite a few other teachers wanted to watch this duel, Dumbledore had already arrived and stood next to Merrythought. He was probably going to find this interesting.

After a quick 1-2-3 it began.

It started with her "Expelliarmus!" which was deflected by his "Protego!"

"Avis! Conjunctivitis!"

"Deletrius!" which disintegrated the birds. But the second spell hit Tom causing him to duck under a table to use "Finite Incantatum!"

He returned her curses with an "Incarcerous!" that she easily sidestepped and threw a "Langlock!" followed by a "Levicorpus!" that he didn't know the counter curse as it wasn't invented for another 20ish years.

He hung upside down chuckling and threw an "Oppungo!" at a desk that then suddenly attacked her while he still hung upside down. She accioed it out of the window…

"Do you want me to let you down so we can have a more equal battle Tom?" she giggled and stood a metre in front of his upside down body.

"Would be nice… did you invent that spell?"

"Yep. Liberacorpus!" and he left to the floor hitting his head which was followed by his 6'3 self. She laughed at the disgruntled face he wore as he stood up.

"Want to try some of the darker things we know?"

"Going to risk your badge Tom? I thought you loved being a Head?"

"I do but this is getting boring with the simple stuff."

"Well then, Diffindo!"

"Protego! That's better Hermione! Expulso!"

She ran quickly to the other side of the room as the wall behind her exploded. "Confringo!"

The desk was hidden behind burst into flames catching his robes which he had to put out with a "Aguamenti! That hurt! Serpensortia!" A sleek cobra emerged from his wand and glided over to Hermione preparing to strike. After the Basilisk incident she had always been nervous around snakes so immediately banished the creature.

"Sectumsempra! Wait watch out!" But it was too late, the spell had hit and blood was now pouring out of his unconscious form. She could leave him to die or help? Save her friends or their murderer?

Teachers crowded around his unconscious body panicking and stumbling over themselves while she stood back and watched calmly looking like a template of Dumbledore, who was also stood at the edge of the room observing like her, but was actually watching her reaction. She was the only one who could save him, should she save him? Could she save him? Save the child who would grow up to be a mass murderer? The man who would kill Harry?

Sighing, she ran to him and knelt down pushing all of the bumbling teachers out the way. He just lay there with uniform cuts over him completely unaware of what was happening, while she used all the healing spells she knew. "Vulnera Santentur! Quickly take him to the hospital wing!"

After being carried to the mediwitch, Tom was given a blood-replenishing potion and left to rest, Hermione however was told she needed to be checked out, and the Madam whom she didn't know the name of yet, sat her on the bed and gave her a gauntlet of dreamless potion telling her it was best if she rested while she performed some of the spells. So carefully she drank the ghastly liquid and slipped out of consciousness.

* * *

Tom woke up disoriented, he was dueling before, why was he in the hospital wing? _"I was fighting Hermione and she- used a spell I've never heard of before... Sect- Sectum something..."_

Whispering in the curtained bed next to him caused him to stop moving about, they hadn't used a Muffliato around them, probably thinking he wouldn't wake up. Listening closely he discovered they were talking about Hermione Delacour, whilst she slept in the bed next to them.

"Professor Dumbledore! Do you know what that girl has gone through? She's malnourished and too skinny to be living healthily, I can see she has been eating again but she must have been on the run for years for this amount of damage to occur!" the mediwitch exclaimed exasperatingly.

"Yes Madam Jillian, she has been on the run for years. Running for her life, if I remember correctly she also has said she only use to sleep 3 hours every other day. The poor child has been through too much, she has lost everyone, seen her own friends brutally murdered so I am more worried about her mental health than her physical."

_"What? She's been on the run for her life? Lost everyone? Who would do that to such an innocent girl? She's completely alone?"_

"But Professor, it's the physical I'm worried about! She has been tortured repeatedly, there is evidence of several hundreds of the Cruciatus Curse, that would drive anyone insane, even one was powerful as you Albus. The child should be dead. She's been abused, her bones broken in all places, sometimes the breaks rebroken. And the scars Albus-the scars! It's everywhere! The angel must see them everywhere she looks, I can't heal them either, the dark magic used is irreversible, she will have them for the rest of her life. Does she know that? Does she understand what has happened to her? It's not fair Albus! She is a child! Why would they do that to her?"

"She understands all of this my dear, she gave herself up for her friends knowing what would happen. Knowing that she would probably die but she never gave up. Never gave the secrets away. I think it would have been better if she had died, all of that pain, that agony and selflessness for nothing. She gave herself up for nothing. They are all gone and she is alone. My dear she understands everything and that is what kills her."

"But-but-but the damage! I'm not sure I should tell you this but she has also been raped, the initials cut into her calf. I-I can't stress on the number of them, she must have been used by around 60 men. That was the only scars I could heal as they were done with a muggle knife. Why would she give herself up for that?"

_"WHAT! But-but she never said anything! She looks so stong in front of everyone. She beat me in a duel! Me! Yes, why would she give herself up for that! To be abused, r-raped and broken?"_

"Love. She did it all out of love."

"Love? But would that be enough? Enough to give yourself up for? Was it a fiance or family member?"

"No Madam Jillian. She wasn't in love but she did love all of her friends, just like they loved her. She had two best friends she considered brothers in all but blood and name. She gave herself up for them."

"I couldn't go through all of that and survive. I would of gone insane after the first 10 Crucios but to last through hundreds of them. How was that possible?"

"I asked her that too. She said it was the knowledge that her brothers were coming for her, that they wouldn't give up until they found her that kept her going for the first few months. After that, it was that she had to be sane to say she loved them before she died. That is what I am afraid of Madam, that she doesn't care if she lives or dies anyone because she believes that she should have died back then. She actually believed wholeheartedly that she was going to die. She wishes she had died back then so she wouldn't have to witness all of their deaths. She is the last one left."

"Do you think she will ever recover?"

"I think after all these years she has because she was fighting for them even when they were gone. She still is fighting for them by being alive. Hermione Gr-Delacour is the strongest being alive."

_"What was that? Hermione Gr-Delacour? He stumbled over his words! But before he said she was tortured for months. Thought she was going to die?"_

"Has she lost the survival instinct? Self-preservation?"

"Yes, she does not fear death anymore, everyone does deep down even you and I, but she doesn't care anymore. If it happens she will welcome it I believe."

_"She doesn't fear death? I do! I always have and always will! I don't want to die!"_

"I think we should leave her in peace, I have given her a strong dreamless potion that will keep any nightmares away. We shall question her tomorrow if it is possible. Does she have any friends here yet?"

_"Yes! Me! I am!"_

"No. Sadly not. She doesn't trust anyone apart from me, and even I am not trusted fully. Any people she has already befriended are not at all her friends. She will not risk herself after what has happened."

"Best be off Albus, I will walk out with you." Madam Jillian sighed then strutted out after checking on him and Hermione a last time.

* * *

At around 3 Tom woke up suddenly to screaming and crying. Hermione was thrashing about in her bed, wailing to get out of the tight covers that trapped her wiggling body. Jolting upright he slipped out of the itchy bed and dragged his still aching form over to her hospital bed. She looked like an angel, her hair spread out over the striped pillow and her body covered lightly in perspiration.

_"I thought Madam Jillian said she had given her a strong dreamless potion? Why is she having a nightmare?"_

"Harry! Harry please! Please don't! Don't leave me! Don't leave me please I can't be alone! Harry! Come back! You can't die. You can't die..." Hermione screamed pitifully. "Harry! You can't go like Ron!"

_"Who are Ron and Harry? Are they the boys old Dumbledore was talking about? Is-is she ok?" _

"Get off me, get off me! No-no-no please! Harry! Ron! Please! Help. Help! Get off me! Tonks! Remus! Dumbledore! Ginny! Luna! Neville! Someone please, you can't leave me here alone! It hurts. Please it hurts! Please." she continued to screech.

"Her-Hermione. Wake up, can you wake up pl-please. I-I don't know what to do! Your my first friend!" he stuttered through. She continued to wail and thrash about.

Then suddenly, she jolted upright gasping for air, pale as the moon. She jumped out of bed and started running. Running as if her life depended on it. Tom followed her through the corridors and up the staircases until they reached the 7th floor. It seemed it always returns to the Room of Requirements.

"Hermione! Wait, slow down! Where are you going?" he called after her, but she was already entering the room. He chased in after her and found himself in the room of pictures again; she was by now huddled on the floor in the corner sobbing.

She looked up at him, Merlin he looked Harry, tears streaming down her face and shakes gripping her body and using her new found wandless magic tried to send him out of the door but because of her unstable emotional state couldn't do anything strong enough that he couldn't deflect it.

It hurt to look at him; she had thought Harry had come to save her like he had promised, even though he didn't last time. She had thought her brother would protect her, but she was alone, always going to be alone. Tom being stood there was like being repeatedly stabbed with a knife, over and over again because it showed that she wasn't strong enough to avenge those lost due to his actions.

"Are you ok Hermione? I know you had a nightmare. What-what was it about?" he said carefully as if it would set her off.

"My brothers. They left me, all alone. I had to watch them die in front of me and not cry out or they would have found me, I had to be quiet when I just wanted to scream until I lost my voice and then my mind."

* * *

_"Harry! Be careful!"__ H__ermione hissed as they slowly plodded through Malfoy Manor looking for a Horcrux they would later find was never there. Dumbledore was long gone and the Order of the Phoenix all but vanquished so the Trio were left to pick up the pieces and find the Horcruxes._

_They had decided to sneak in to the dragon's lair and hope they didn't get caught, trampling through the halls and trying to get into the dungeon they had run into many different problems ranging from rouge Death Eaters to Dark Magic wards, which she had easily broken through as she was now an expert in the magic, to even Devil's Snare and blood thirsty animals. Harry and Ron had thought it would be best to split up and ignored her comments on the dangers they would encounter. Taking a different passageway each, they brought out their old DA coins with the Protean charm still active, saying if something went wrong they could contact each other for help._

_She had progressed quickly through her own hallway before reaching a fork way. Left or Right? She had rubbed her ring to get an answer from the boys but nothing happened after twenty minutes she had turned back and sprinted to the intersect they had last seen them and chosen the middle passage after putting on the Invisibility Cloak Harry had entrusted to her. She dashed swiftly past the portraited walls up to an open wooden door before rushing inside._

_The screams still torn at her heart just thinking about it, they were on the floor shrieking in torturous wails, Harry and Ron had protected her even when they were being tormented and tortured. The questions were repeated over and over again only to receive the same answer, "She's not here! You'll never find her! She will kill him even when we are gone."_

_She regretted many things from that night, one being that she didn't kill Dolohov because he took great joy in telling the boys what he and the others had done to her when she was held captive. How he crucioed her for hours, raped her, got her pregnant and cut the baby out himself and how he and many others were the possible fathers of Rose. The mention of their lost God-daughter drove the boys into utter despair before they died._

_When they were gone __sh__e had collected the bodies and was forced to drag her dead brothers through the halls of Malfoy Manor. It drove her insane to drag them half a mile to Apparate out to the Forest of Dean and then dig the graves with the others. All pretty and neat in a row. All of her friends and she was 6 feet abov__e them. Who would bury her when she died?_

_And so she was alone again._

* * *

"Let me take you back to your dorm Hermione. You need to sleep."

"I don't want to be there. Can I just stay here? The room will accommodate me!"

"Do-do you want company? I may be Head Boy but even I cannot get away with being out of bed at 4 in the morning."

"Sure. You can have the left side of the bed. Just don't steal all of the covers or you won't be my friend in the morning. We have Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes and Auror/Law Enforcement."

They tucked themselves into bed and shuffled to the edges of the bed giving the other more space. After wishing each other a good night Hermione fell asleep quickly but Tom spent a while just watching her chest rise and fall with her breath and her eyes flutter under her eyelids. What a beauty and she didn't even believe it.

He snuggled up to his pillow and thought of his upcoming meetings. Unofficial meetings if you get what that means. His followers were expecting him in a week. Talking about the magic, how had she beaten him? What was that spell?

He'd just sort everything out tomorrow when he wasn't in the same bed as a goddess...

**Hope you liked it and had a good Christmas!**

**Please review if possible!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks again to my b****eautiful reviewers, I will try to update more often but it was Christmas. I hope you all had a splendid time! Anyway this chapter will include a more evil Tom, I'm making it seem like he has a split personality like a schizophrenic or something else (which I will not tell for a few chapters – probably?)**

**Anyway any suggestions please PM me or write a loving review **** Please do because I really need the help! **

**I need more characters so if you do review leave a name and what you want that individual to be e.g. death eater, prefect, house member, bully to Hermione, attacker, the list goes on and on! Thanks in advance for those who do it.**

**I do not own Harry Potter! **

A few months had passed since that night and Hermione and Tom's friendship had grown, after they had awoken in a very intimate embrace, they had both blushed tremendously and bolted away from each other. She had found it highly humorous that the future Dark Lord was nervous about physical contact. After that night, which had followed by many more, she had kept a close eye on Tom Riddle and by Merlin was he a good actor. Sweet talking the teachers, bar Dumbledore and to an extent Merrythought in some cases, conning the younger students and silently terrorising the older ones.

He was good she had to admit, but she was going to change him and had to a certain extent, they 'hung out' and partnered together in most lessons. They completed their homeworks together and discussed the theories behind them, explored the school together to some degree though it was blatantly obvious to Tom that Hermione already knew the school better than him!

Yes, she was going to change the Heir of Slytherin and save them all.

But, sadly she had seen the already assembled dark side to him, though he didn't know it. She had on occasions followed him and seen many torture sessions between him and his followers, and some of the 'mudblooded' students who were then Obliviated and thrown on the edge of the Forbidden Forest to be found.

He was already delving into the Dark Arts and had probably made two Horcruxes by now. The ring and the diary. She could solve that problem easily... both were probably in the Chamber of Secrets. Harry, dear Harry had given her part of his soul, his essence, his fight to her in case an emergency happened and she needed protection. No-one could get in if she was the only one with the 'password', but that was then and now she had to be careful of Riddle. No matter, she would plot it wisely and kill the bloody Basilisk while she was at it.

He, Tom that is, didn't know that she knew of the evils he had done only thinking that the outcome justifies the deed. He would have an eternity to learn everything! Be the best of everything. If he had his 7 lifelines he was as good as invincible. The two he had so far were an advanced start.

He thought of what he had heard about Hermione in the hospital regularly. He seethed thinking about it. How could someone of lain their hands on her in such a manner, how could something so pure and something that looked so delicate and so _vulnerable_ be tortured? How did she stay strong from it and walk around like it didn't happen? It confused him. She confused him! She was nothing like the trained trophy future wives he saw around him every turn he looked. She was so... strong.

Their friendship had blossomed nicely and he even trusted her to a certain extent if that counted for anything. It was the start of December coming up to Christmas in a few weeks and they were both top of the class though didn't know who had the top position as the results would come out at the start of the next semester.

Hermione and Tom met up outside the DADA room as they had had different classes before of Herbology and Divination. Together they plonked themselves on their regular table and started unpacking their equipment only to be stopped by a sudden voice that emerged from the front of the last.

"Alight class, push the tables to the edge of the room and stack your bags on top to stop the lot of you falling over. Today students we have a rare treat! A boggart is in this cupboard in front of you and we will be practicing the Riddikulus charm upon it. It will show your greatest fear, the thing that terrifies you the most. But to overcome it you must somehow picture it differently and... Funnily." Merrythought stated while dragging the wooden container of the creature to the middle of the room but still closer to the front of the class so they had room to cue up.

"Oi Tom! This is easy stuff, I did this in third year in my last school, are you really that far behind?" she questioned after nudging him in the ribcage with her elbow.

"Actually we were supposed to learn it in fourth year but the boggart met an unhappy ending with a previous student." Tom dragged himself begrudgingly over to almost complete line while grabbing Hermione's hand to bring her along as well.

"This should be entertaining don't you think?"

"Oh yes, most interesting indeed."

One by one the students took their turn most having ridiculous fears. Spiders, snakes, teachers, parents and her favourite one, the waltz. Why they were scared of a dance she did not want to know but it made excellent entertainment to see a pair of what looked like professional dancers gliding around the room.

Tom walked up to the front dreading what he already knew he would see. The image blurred to life, a copy of himself was on the floor dead. Just dead. Nothing else was happening. No killer spiders, no father shouting at him. He tilted his head methodically to the side and gave a sad crooked smile before performing the charm.

_"Of course he would be scared of Death! He would spend his life trying to avoid it." _She thought pitifully. He was still just a child.

And so she stepped up to the open cupboard not knowing what to expect...  
He glided softly from through the gap between the door and wooden frame, his raven hair rustling angelically as his sharp green eyes focused on her. Mirrored smiles erupted on each of their faces as she ran into a brotherly hug.

"Harry. My Harry. I have missed you so much my brother. Forgive me for giving in? I couldn't survive by myself without you and the others. All the war, the deaths, I was so alone..." she sighed still not letting go as he pulled her into his lap on the floor playing with her hair sympathetically.

"I love you Hermione Jean, I forgive you, I always will, you gave up everything for me, even your life, and you were left alone, all alone for years. Fighting without us, for us. So there is nothing to forgive my sister in all but blood. The old fool told me about your arrival, I wish I had seen you after you had died. I would have wrapped by arms around you and never let you go. Even when you are so smart you're an idiot. Why didn't you join us, Ron was waiting for you with me. Why accept the offer? They miss you so much my Mione. Cya soon my dearest friend." And with a sad wink he was gone. It wasn't over though.

In Harry's place stood a tall Ron, now looking down on her and crying sadly. "Hey Mione, I miss you. I miss you more than you can imagine. Harry and I, we will wait for you in the afterlife, even if you make it to be old and grey we will still be waiting sweetheart. You won't ever have to be alone again here, they're all here!"

"Even Remus and Tonks, even Luna and-and Neville..." she whimpered quietly. She was so alone...

"Neville doesn't blame you sweet Hermione, he sends his love."

"Wh-what about Rose? Please tell me she is there!" she cried. What if Rose was alone, without her uncles and aunts to pamper her when she wasn't there to do it? What if Rose was alone as her? It wasn't right for a child to feel such misery...

"She's here don't fret, we won't forget you, you won't forget us?" his voice dissipated as his body lost form. She wanted to scream, no. No she could never forget them. But he was gone. She turned to look at the class after forgetting she had witnesses. They starred at her confused beyond belief about the thing said, she had died before, she was alone, people missed her, dead people.

But it wasn't over, the charm hadn't been muttered which was confirmed when a delicate beautiful and unforgettable voice pierced the silence.

"Mummy?"

She whipped around to stare at the small striking child that stood in front of her. She wasn't alone! Her Rose was here!

"Rose! My baby Rose! There you are! Mummy loves you so much my sweetheart. I couldn't sleep without dreaming of you my baby Rose!" she sprinted to the child grabbing her and clutching her to her chest tightly like she was never going to let go of her. Her beautiful grey eyes bore into hers like they always had when she was alive...

"Mummy, why did you leave me? Why did you leave me with the bad men?" her heart broke thinking back to that day... Her Rose blamed her.

"No, no, no..." she sobbed dropping to the floor still clutching the child as if her life depended on it. Her sanity did. She would go completely off the scales, more so than she had before and may never be able to return back to reality.

"You left me,"

"I didn't, I didn't!"

"You left me all alone in the dark with the bad men and they hurt me."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Rose. I tried so hard to protect you my little Rosebud."

"I thought you loved me mummy, why don't you love me?"

It was killing her to hear this but the naive child didn't understand the hurt she was causing while she sat in Hermione's lap playing with her hair in complete content. "I'll always love you; to the day I die to join you. It's my entire fault; I'm so sorry Rose petal."

"I'm with Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron mummy, I'm safe now. Why are you never safe?" it confused her, how did the child know anything about what her life was like?

"What do you mean Rose?"

"You're in danger now; you were in danger before for over 10 years, fighting those 30 men before you yourself died. I wasn't made in a nice way was I mummy?"

How could she know? How could her child know what had happened to her? "I love you that's all that matters Rose..."

"Does it really Miss Granger. She's dead, killed by your actions, your actions killed your own child didn't they?" the cold calculating voice of Severus Snape said, her time with Rose was over.

"Yes, I live with it every day Snape, I wanted to die for what happened."

"Did it hurt?"

"Did what hurt Severus? Could you be a bit more specific? You know all the pain I've been through."

"The 6 months of capture you had to endure?"

"Of course it hurt; I have the scares to prove it."

"We are getting off topic Hermione, did it hurt? The 64 men that shared you? Stole things from you? Made you lose your way in the dark because they took away your light source?"

"Leave it where it's buried, nothing good will come from digging up the past!" he smirked almost sadistically as she curled in on herself on the floor, not sobbing but tearing up.

"Do you remember the time they crucioed you for hours waiting for you to brake? You never gave any information in your entire 'stay'. Loyal till the end. You were willing to die for them. You did die for them child."

"Yes I was, I would rather die than put them at risk."

"What about my favourite time? I had to watch this all so I have my top 5."

"You're a bastard! You know that?"

"It was the time they used the Sectumsempra curse on you so many times you should have died, and then, they dropped you in citric acid so it seeped into your wounds. You screamed until you lost your voice, you were still screaming but no noise was being made after the 3 hours were up. Was he really worth that much?"

"Yes and I'd do it again, I'd die again and again for him, for them."

"So pitiful Hermione, Do you recall the time the Dark Lord himself used you for his own pleasure, you were so small, your bones shattered under the force**."**

She gritted her teeth recollecting ever movement and turned to look sadly at Tom, knowing all the pain he would cause her in the future. "Yes Snape."

"What about the time they cut the first baby out of you? No anaesthetic, you were wide awake and screaming and clawing trying to get out of your own skin."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" she screamed clutching her head in angst.

"When your friends rescued you, why didn't you tell them? They thought you had been held in the dungeon and questioned for information, why did you tell them your precious Rose was caused by a one-night stand?" he inquired looking genuinely interested.

"I loved them. I couldn't hurt them, they didn't deserve it."

"You didn't either..."

Blinking sharply at him she exhaled "I know."

"Now let us leave the depressing thoughts behind, what is it you fear? It is not death, you have died 109 times and been brought back to life to relive everything. You do not fear pain or love."

"I know what I fear Severus, I always have."

"The gravestones, you fear the gravestones. Am I right?"

"In a sense yes."

"It terrifies you, scares you so deeply you tremble thinking about it."

"Yes."

"You are scared you will not join them, you have dug nineteen separate graves, you Hermione are scared of who will dig yours. How will you join them?"

"Yes. I am scared I will be alone for the rest of my life without them."

"But what truly terrifies you if the loneliness. Every day is another battle because it's another day the memories fade, another day you feel them slipping away from you. You are alone."

She didn't reply, just hopped from the desk she had perched herself and readied her wand then shouted a soft "Riddikulus!" but nothing happened and she stood shocked in front of her old potions teacher.

"No Miss Granger, we have one more item I would like to discuss."

"Go ahead greatly annoying and pestering one... she replied sardonically.

"Why didn't you kill him? After all that has happened, will happen if this continues, why didn't kill him when you first laid eyes upon him? You are not a coward. You would willingly go to Azkaban for them. Why?" he starred into her eyes awaiting a solid answer, something she didn't fully understand herself.

"I have a legacy to uphold Severus. Do you think I would let them be forgotten? You are right I would kill for them but not yet, not when they need to be remembered. "

"I do not understand child."

"Children Severus. I am going to have many children and name them after them all. Harry, Ronald, Luna, Ginevra, Remus, Nym-Tonks, Neville, even you and Minerva. I won't let them be forgotten! They can go to orphanages to be properly cared for as you already know I'm not stable enough for keeping children. So I will do that, and at the age of twenty-fiveish. I will either kill him or both of us."

"That's even a bit too dark for you Granger. You don't even want children really, you just don't want them to be forgotten when you kill yourself, and him in the process. If you die who will be left to remember them, am I correct?"

"Your right, but it's a good idea. Ca-can I see her again before I go?"

"Yes of course, don't forget who you are and you became what you are. Remember every man that used you, every curse placed upon you, everything, and use the anger for the greater good. Your new found powers will only help you in completing your mission. I don't believe you will need it but good luck." In a simple gesture, he placed his hand on her shoulder in a sign of respect and vanished.

"Rose?"

"Yes mummy? Why are you so lonely? I have Uncle Harry, Uncle Ron, Aunty Ginny, Aunty Luna, Uncle Neville and everyone else even Teddy. Who do you have?"

"No one. Everyone I love is with you. I have no one Rose. That is why I am afraid. Without you, I will be alone forever."

"Can't you make new friends?"

"Yeah, why didn't I think of that?!"

"Silly mummy, you are never alone. We are always with you, right here..." the small child laid her hand upon Hermione's heart unaware it was about to shatter.

"I'll remember that when I'm sad and lonely Rose."

"I love you mummy."

"As I love you Rose Cassiopeia Granger."

"We'll be seeing each other soon mummy."

"I look forward to it. No-now off you go to your Uncles. Send my love with you and tell them to look after it for me."

"But what if you need it?"

That was the last comment spoken between them as she started to fade, disappear from her. Again. She had somewhere to visit, a few places actually one containing an old fool, another a large snake and the last a forest with quite a few different creatures.

And the bunch of gapping teenagers in front of her blocking the exit weren't going to stop her from saving the world...

Even if she had to possibly kill one of them...

**So... I know it's a lot of dialogue but it tells you a little about her past though some important things are missing including Rose's father, the thing about Neville (which I conveniently didn't speculate on) and why she didn't kill Tom straight away, she was kind of joking about the baby thing... kind of? I don't know yet. Oh! I also gave you a hint about the father.**

**Happy New Year!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks all for the reviews (even if one of them was a little snarky towards my story) and especially to KittyKat2583 who guessed the father of Rose spot on, if you can guess it you will be mentioned in the next chapter because his name will not be released for a few more chapters. Anyway, still needing advice if you will give it in a review at the bottom of the page, just click that button and start tapping with your little fingers! If you have any questions or are confused by anything please PM me or get a friend to read it and explain…**

**I also wanted to say just like the last chapter I need more characters in this story so please send me some names and ideas of who they will be (teacher, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Huffelpuff and sub things like are a bully, death eater, prefect, attacker, goes on…)**

**Please enjoy my next chapter x**

**I do not own Harry Potter!**

Everything slowed down as she charged from the room; it was like time needed a second to understand what had just happened. As she turned the corner to the next corridor, the students of the DADA class stared at her retreating back in a mix of emotions. Awe, sadness, regret, grief,surprise…hate. Every face was like a painted picture, clear and defined and not coming off until something happened to it. The children couldn't understand it. Who were the boys before? She had had a daughter? The older man was a friend but watched her being tortured and didn't do anything? The list of questions flowed on and on…

Merrythought gaped sadly, all the pain that child must have gone through, all those she had loved were gone, alone in the world with all those scars; she was forever going to be stuck in the past, reliving it. The old dark haired man had said she had taken down 30 wizards before she had perished. How could she do that? And what did he mean she had died? She was here, living, breathing, and growing. But how had a child of 16 taken down all those men? She couldn't do that! Even Dumbledore would struggle! It wasn't possible the things he had said and the things he had done. How had a boggart stopped the charm from working, was it because her fear hadn't been on show yet? It wasn't till the end it had been apparent she was afraid of being alone for the rest of her life like she expected.

The things that had happened to that small innocent child had her cringe. The abuse she had gone through to protect her friends, she couldn't do that, and she wouldn't have. She would have saved herself after a month probably just to end the pain. But that child never gave up hope? Or was she expecting her rescue? Nothing about her made sense…

Turning to the class, she dismissed them quickly and hurried them out of the room wanting to have a think about all that had occurred, she turned to walk to her office and found a silhouette of a man against the wall hiding in the shadows. He was leaning against the stone and appeared to be thinking intensely.

"Mr Riddle, the class has ended, is there anything you need?" she inquired studying his reaction to her speech; it seemed she had knocked him from his thoughts as he jolted up to look at her startled.

"I don't understand Professor, how could a girl have survived that? She's so… little! The things he said had happened to her! Any grown man would have rather have given up the secrets. How does she cope with it all?" he glumly spoke looking at her intensely.

"I don't either Tom but I think she loved them enough to die for them, go to Azkaban for them, anything… the truest forms of love protect us even when we are screaming in agony. She gave up on herself a long time ago I think from what he said, but she never gave up on her friends." She sighed deeply recalling all the whole experience.

"But why hide that she was raped and ended up pregnant? Don't women spread it around because it's a happy thing to have child? Why hide it from the ones she loved?"

"Like she said protection for them and even her. On a battle field weakness is a way to kill everyone around you and if they were worrying about her then they wouldn't be protecting themselves. She lied to them in the end because she loved them enough to sacrifice her own happiness. Or maybe she wanted to hide the truth, wanted to forget the experience. She was-is a child herself, she wanted to grow up before admitting what had happened to her? I don't know, she is your friend why not ask her yourself Mr Riddle?"

"Your right Professor, if I want an explanation I should ask the person who knows the most about it!" _"Dumbledore!" _and with that he quickly marched out while she followed him with her eyes and thought about how he was in love with her without knowing it himself…

Tom had watched the whole incident in a tragic silence, how had she survived? The greasy haired man had spoken of it like he was with her when it happened and didn't help her. Why wouldn't he help her? She was so tiny, so breakable, so broken already… and the most surprising thing, she has a daughter. Had a daughter.

That small child he had seen in the picture when he first met the violet eyed girl was her own flesh and blood! But she was dead. How could she have had a child, she was so young but then again it seemed like she hadn't ever had a childhood, it seemed like her life was worse than his…

When she had charged out he had wanted to follow her but she had taken off so quickly he hadn't the time, damn her little legs moved fast. Instead he had stayed behind to talk to Merrythought, ask her about what had been said because it still didn't make sense in his head. She was a bloody girl, well woman, and had been tortured more than he had ever heard before and was still alive, still sane. The curses she had been through, the physical pain inflicted upon her, how was she still sane?

After his conversation he had decided to go to Dumbledore, he knew everything about her it seemed. He knew her past, her demons; he knew what had happened through the ten years she had fought for what she thought was right. So he had glided his way up to the Transfiguration Room, snarling at the younger pupils that dared to look at him, and stepped in without even knocking. He didn't care for manners anyway when it concerned the old fool anyway…

The old man seemed to be waiting for him, perched behind his desk with that humble smile on his lips, he looked like this was exactly what he had expected. "Ah! Tom! I was waiting for you, I heard what happened to Miss Delacour, you must be worried, but don't she is fine and came straight to me after leaving her class to tell me what had happened."

"Professor I don't understand though, what had happened in her past to cause… that? She is but a child really, younger than the 7th years and the youngest of the 6th. Why would she be tortured?"

"You came here searching for answers didn't you Tom? It is not me you need to seek the answer from, they are her private business, I know you have struck up a… friendship but you need to be polite and ask her for answers and if she doesn't give them then give up. It is none of your business in truth." He looked over the top of his half-moon shaped glasses down his nose at Tom and tilted his head to the door. "Now Mr Riddle, I have papers to mark, lunch is in 2 hours and you have a free lesson."

* * *

"Hello again Harry..."

"Hello dearest Hermione." he emerged from the trees that made up the Forbidden Forest, the ghost of Harry that was somehow attached to her. The image of the old Harry, the living Harry showed how alone she was, how this Harry would never make up for a living human being, he may be a ghost, he may even be her Harry, she didn't know, but it wasn't the same, it never would be...

"You should visit me more often, you should stay with me. Always..." she whispered as they trekked through the foliage, deeper into the darkness and unknown, deeper into what she knew.

Harry shook his head, "Nope," he said, popping the P childishly. "I'll come when you feel most desperate to see me."

"But I'm always desperate to see you Harry! You keep me sane, even if you may be an illusion of the mind, I'm not certain yet." she finished with a slight smirk, thinking back to when they would tell each other of their dreams, tell each other their secrets...

"There are times when I want to see you... but I stop myself," he said, frowning as he stroked a moss-covered tree, his ghostly silhouette showing some of the tree through him.

"Why?"

"Because I love you, I want you to be happy," he said smiling softly at her, "I don't want you to hold on to the past. I want you to remember me and everyone else but how can you let go of the past when the past won't let go of you?"

Hermione shook her head then turned to watch him. "No. I don't want to be alone Harry. I can't live my life without having you visit me. You can't abandon me again... Please?" she whimpered, crying softly because she already knew where this was going. She was losing him. All over again...

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry love but I can't do this to you. I can't, I love you too much to do that."

"Please?"

He turned and started to walk even further into the forest, getting lost in the shadows, leaving her. She ran after his ghost-like form, begging him to return, not to go. It wasn't ever going to be fair...

_"Enough crying! I am here for a reason." _she thought as she plundered through to a specific clearing, one where it had all began all those many years ago. She had stumbled and tripped over rocks and logs for hours on end, always getting up and continuing, ignoring the pain as the cuts the impacts had caused bled into her pure white socks tainting them, she looked at them and smiled, they looked like her now, tainted by the blood that now covered them. She would save them, she would put them before her own safety even if they were gone...

"We've been expecting you for a long long time Hermione Granger..."

Yet, maybe her life was going to get easier.

* * *

Classes had been missed searching for her with no such luck. It was like she had decided to disappear of the face of the Earth, he had searched everywhere! It was 11 o'clock at night and where ever she had gone, she definitely hadn't returned. He had waited in the Slytherin common room until curfue and then travelled to the entrance doors to look out and see if she returned from outside. Why she would be outside he did not know but she seemed like it would be something she would do. She was... strange? No, unique suited her better, strange made it negative.

He had so many questions for her! So many answers she could give! She was a mystery, a puzzle with some of the pieces missing making it all the harder to complete the image.

So he waited.

After midnight she had stumbled up the path to the doors, covered in blood but still looking like an angel, the angel of death, he didn't know how she did it, looking angelic when covered in dirt and blood. It was supposed to be him who was the angel of death!

She knew as soon as she entered the hall that something was off. Her unusual violet eyes violating the darkness searching for anything out of place. She could feel it, the presence of another being, her new powers drew her attention to the shadow in the far corner of the room. He was there...

"You can come out Mr Riddle, I may not see you but I know you are there..."

How did the girl know where he was? Not even the greatest of wizards could detect him. How had an insolent girl found him, fury enveloped him and red seeped into his eyes, Voldemort had emerged, he tried to stop him, he really did, he likes the girl, he was attracted to her not that anyone knew or ever would but he actually _liked_ her. He had never had a friendship before and all these new experiences she caused were... fun. But it was too late, Voldemort had taken over and his blood red eyes focused on her small red stained form.

"You shouldn't be out of bed at this hour Miss Delacour, you never know what demons are lurking in a dark and sleeping castle when no one can help you." he smirked maliciously as he emerged from the shadows.

"Hello Lord Voldemort, I have been expecting you for a while but you do like to take your time don't you" she smirked back casually, leaning against the wall. How did she know that name? Only his followers know of and only the most loyal spoke it. How did the stupid girl know of it?

"I am surprised that you know of that name, how did you acquire that knowledge?" he said walking towards her, every step forward she took one back.

"I have my ways..." she whispered turning to walk up the staircase, leaving her back open and putting herself in danger.

"Insolent child! Tell me how you know of it! Crucio!" he shouted, she simply sidestepped the curse and continued on her way ignoring his presence.

"I am really rather tired Tom, I wish you sweet dreams." he could feel the smirk in her words, she was showing that she would and could defy him, well she didn't know that he could kill her now if he wanted. But what if she did? What if she knew him like she thought she did?

"Do not walk away from me witch! Crucio!" Again she stepped away from it without even looking over her shoulder. It was not going to work. Instead he ran after her, his long legs catching up with her short strides in only a few seconds and grabbed her by the shoulder and waist to shove her against the cold stone wall.

She stared up at him with her unique violet eyes, staring into his soul, seeing all that he had done, all that was left of his broken and tainted soul, his crippled essence that made him. She looked at him like a saint would a sinner, with pity and disgust.

"I pity you Tom, you have missed out on so much in life, look at what you are, what you have become." she whispered as a sad smile graced her lips, a man would bow before her just for that smile, it showed how beautiful and innocent she was. How naive to say that to the future Dark Lord.

"I do not want your pity, I am Lord Voldemort, I am above you and everyone else! Crucio!" he smiled sadistically as her knees gave way and her eyes closed. He caught her and held her up against the stone behind her, scanning her face for weakness for a sign that he was above her. She didn't scream, didn't make a sound. All his followers begged and shrieked for mercy, why didn't she?

The curse stopped and she opened her eyes to stare into the crimson in front of her, "I shall always pity you, you do not understand love, you appear strong but you are weak, one of the first rules of war, but you don't have complete power, only love could ever give you that. I pity you because you will be alone, just like me for eternity."

It surprised him, how she, a saint in comparison, could compare herself to him. "Love is a weakness, it makes you vulnerable!"

"Love makes you strong!"

"Do you think I could-could love?"

"I don't know, Tom Riddle could I think but you I don't think so."

He pushed her further into the wall, pressing his body against hers, forcing her to stay looking into his eyes, "What is love?"

He waited until her walls started to drop, started to doubt herself, and the pointed his wand at her and whispered "Legilimens!"

...

Nothing! Nothing! How was that possible, the best wizards couldn't stop him, how had she brought her Occlumens wall up to quickly?

"That is why you can not love, you only think of yourself Voldemort but that will be your downfall. The answer to your question. Love can be may things, romantic, friendship, family, devotion, obsession, but it can save you from the darkest hate. To love you must put other people before yourself. That is why you can not love. Tom Riddle however, he could I believe." She shoved him away and started to walk down the lightly lit corridor but again was grabbed and pressed into the wall.

"Could you please stop grabbing me? Physical love doesn't count!" he ignored her comment and forced her violet eyes to lock gaze with his crimson.

"Where were you? Where did you go? He was waiting for you to return before you angered him, me, and I took over."

"So your like a parasite?"

"No, I am Tom Riddle, I am the monster you all enclose inside you but he let me out. You have one too, everyone does." Voldemort whispered into the shell of her ear, his head tucked into her neck almost lovingly. It wasn't though, she knew he was trying to possess her, make her his.. thing to own.

"I was out."

"Where?"

"A woman never tells."

"I didn't know you were the type to sleep around?"

"Oh no! The children here aren't worth my time. I was doing something much more important!"

"And what was that?"

"I must be off. I am quite tired after all that has happened today, I wish you a good night." She strided off to the end of the corridor but alas he followed her, again. Couldn't he leave her alone?

"What is stronger than love?" Images flashed through her head, before settling on two ginger boys older than her and him. It was the only image he had ever seen from her mind.

"Nothing. Leave my mind alone Voldemort, that is the only image you shall ever see."

"Who are they? The boys?"

"They are the strongest love I have ever seen..." A tear slipped from her eye.

* * *

_They say twins can feel each others emotions, tell when the other is in danger and when one dies the other dies with them. They were right._

_When Fred died George wasn't George anymore. It was like part of him had died along with his twin, like a piece of him was missing, gone. It was like they were two halfs of the same soul and when one died the other half started to as well. There was no Forge without his other half Gred. George was a dead as his twin in a sense. He didn't eat, didn't sleep, didn't have a reason to live._

_Hermione had gone to visit him a week after they had told George that his twin, part of himself was gone. When he was told he had screamed, thrashed and destroyed everything in sight. The room lay in shreds as he took his pain out on it. He had completely ruined the room, making it look how he felt. It hurt to look at him. All the anguish, the pain he seeped from his pores polluted the air. It hurt to be around him. His aura was just.. gone. It was like when Fred and died George's soul had too and all that was left was the shell of his body._

_After he had destroyed everything around him he had sat in the middle of the room, ignorant to the mess he had caused, unseeing of the chaos around him. And he had just started to talk._

_To Fred._

_About how they were supposed to go back to the joke shop and finish it so they could run their business, about how he had wanted him to be his best man if he ever got married and that he would have been the favourite uncle to his kids. He went on for hours about the future they were supposed to have until his voice was hoarse and thick with tears. He screamed about how it wasn't fair. _

_It never would be for their side._

_When she had visited him that week later he was laying on his bed staring at the ceiling, he didn't notice her presence, just stared._

_"George?"_

_"You know I never said goodbye, only see you later? We were supposed to see each other after the battle. We promised each other you know?"_

_"You can still say goodbye. I buried him in a clearing with the others George. The others don't know where it is because I don't want it to be found by the Death Eaters, the dead should be left to rest. Come. We could say goodbye to him and the others?"_

_"No. I can't Granger, if I do I will be letting go of him, he was to stay with me, here," he cried clutching his heart, "I can't let him go."_

_"He's gone George, Fred, Fred isn't coming back."_

_"Was it like this with Rose?"_

_"No, I let her go, she should be in a better place now, with the others."_

_"It hurts."_

_"I know."_

_"He wasn't supposed to die! He was supposed to see me after the battle, I-I was supposed to see him again."_

_"George he's gone, he isn't coming back. The dead don't come back..."_

_"BRING HIM BACK GRANGER! IF YOUR SO BLOODY SMART BRING HIM BACK! I CAN'T BE ALONE WITHOUT HIM FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!"_

_Tears sprang to her eyes as he sobbed into her chest, rocking him back and forward like a child, "You will see him again, when your old and wrinkly you will see your other half again my friend."_

_"I need to be alone for a while Granger, tell Ronald and Ginny that I love them?"_

_"Of course."_

_She should never of left, she knew that as soon as she came back hours later, before she even opened the door. She knew._

_"George. I brought you some-" the tray fell to the floor and sharps of china stabbed into her legs as she collapsed on top of it. She had known in the back of her mind._

_It had crossed her mind a few times, seeing the los loved ones, joining them but she had Harry and Ron to look after, it always came back to that._

_The bottle sat on top of a neatly written note._

_I'm seeing Fred._

_Don't wait up for me x_

_He couldn't live without his twin. He just wasn't whole anymore._

* * *

"Goodnight, I hope to see Riddle in the morning, if not meet me in the RoR at 7 o'clock before breakfast and we shall end this."

She had returned to her room and tucked herself into bed, nightmares plaguing her throughout the night.A soul wasn't right until it was complete and whole. Riddle wasn't whole. Just like George.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks again to my excellent reviewers! JO89 and Diane Potter deserve a special mention for their delightful reviews which made me almost cry in their kindness and beautiful words. So thank you...**

**Many have asked me to explain a few things so this chapter will continue on from Hermione's point at the end of the forest. Not much else to say so let the story begin...**

**I do not own Harry Potter!**

* * *

_"We've been expecting you for a long long time Hermione Granger..."_

_They entered the clearing one at a time in perfect sync and with an inhuman beauty, their faces focusing in on her all alone in the centre of the grassy clearing, their sacred site that she had invaded. The women of the clan looked just as important as the males, showing their greater evolution, how they were past such petty superiority acts, how they were the greater race._

_The stars shone through the only branch free area found in the whole woods, The Seven Sisters staring down upon her, showing how insignificant she actually was, she liked it. She didn't have to be the leader, the one with all the answers, the only one left, it was nice to feel like you were just part_ _of the universe; just another small blip on the cosmos' radar. It was nice._

_A gasp escaped her lips, he couldn't be here! Firenze couldn't be a fawn, could he? The centaurs circled around her blocking any escape but Hermione wasn't frightened, she had faced much worse things, more deadly things. He looked so small, so unlike himself standing behind all the adults, being protected for once, it just wasn't in his nature. Firenze was her last evidence of the future, bar the things in her bag which she had forgotten about until now. They would come into use..._

_"We have waited over a millenia for Time to present itself to us. The energy you show, the powers you could achieve, we have waited so long..." a tall centaur with long dark hair and large facial features said breaking the circle to kneel before her. As soon as he knelt the others started to follow until Firenze was the last one up, about to use his childlike muscles._

_"Wait Firenze," the elders of the clan swapped looks at each other, smiling brightly, "you shall never have to bow before me, that includes the rest of you as well." she diplomatically stated, she hated any sort of superiority._

_"The stars warned us of your arrival Hermione Granger, warned us for the tasks you shall have to complete!" another elder piped up._

_"What tasks?"_

_"The tasks you have already set yourself and the ones yet to be decided young child." _

_"Can you help me? Please, I'm so... lost."_

_"Harry shall guide you."_

_"What?"_

_"Harry shall guide you."_

_"He was real, the ghost Harry was my Harry?"_

_"Harry shall guide you."_

_"But- but he's gone! He said he would never return to me. He said goodbye to me."_

_Silence surrounded the meadow, the stars seemed to dim when those words were said. The elders hustled together and started to mutter so Hermione waited for around 5 minutes for them to continue the discuss but they ignored her presence. Sighing lightly she walked over to the only fawn of the clearing and sat beside him._

_"Hello Time."_

_"Hello Firenze. How old are you now?"_

_"I am 13 years old in your human time but much older in mine. How did you get here Time?" he shuffled closer rubbing his horse hair against her gleefully, taking the subtle hint she started to stroke his back up to the top of his hips making his almost purr in appreciation._

_"It's a very long story and I suspect you already know it young fawn."_

_"Oh yes, but stories are always better if you can hear them from the origin, and you are the greatest origin there is! You are the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega, you are the greatest force ever known, you have your own story beginning at the start of the universe and continuing even after now."_

_"Such wise words for one so young, do you know what they are talking about? It worries me."_

_"Nothing terrible I asure you, in actual fact the opposite, it means the first task is complete Omega."_

_"Omega?"_

_"I shall see you at the end."_

_"The end of what?"_

_"The end of your-"_

_A silence fell through the clearing and Firenze was beckoned away by the elders, disembarking back into the forest with what she assumed as his mother, a long blond-haired centaur with the grace of a gazelle. Such beauty in her movements._

_"You have done well Omega, if you ever need us please call us even if you are inside the castle we shall get to you, we will protect you with our lives. Now be off Omega, return to safety and be careful of the creatures that inhabit this forest, you shall know if we ever need to meet again."_

_And with that they strutted back up the animal created path dissolving into the darkness, the owls began to hoot again, the crickets squeal and the bushes rustle. It seemed that the forest had gone unnaturally quiet in the meeting, making no disturbances. The pain in her legs did nothing to distract her, she had built up a certain resistance to pain, so she followed the unmarked path back to the castle which would take a couple of hours to walk. Her eyes drooped slightly, in need of sleep and no thoughts or nightmares which she suspected wouldn't happen. _

_After the castle came into sight many minutes later Hermione let out a neglected breath. Peace and quiet from the darkness of the wooded area that circled the castle. She would be away from the second 'resting place' of Harry. How had she let him go so easily? How was she going to cover up boggart Snape's blunder of Hermione Granger, how to explain her daughter? The boys? The war?_

_What did she know of this time... Grindelwald! Thank Merlin she wasn't like the rest of the future Hogwarts and actually listened to Professor Binns' lectures instead of using it as sleeping time. Though she did use this time's instead... Well, it was Dumbledore's fault! Making her morph before she could complete her charm. Speaking of which why hadn't she just morphed and flew to and back from the meeting point? Someone might have seen, it was too much of a risk for someone to know of her escapades into the forest._

_Blood covered her from all the falls she had partaken, her arms and legs were smeared in the bloody red stuff and some wounds still oozed out the contents. Hermione dragged herself up the path to encounter Voldemort._

_What fun, note the sarcasm._

* * *

She sat in the Room of Requirement the next day, recalling all the events that had ever happened in here, DA meetings, hiding, chatting, laughing... partying, sex. Yes lots of memories, none seeming to fade, showing that she would remember them for the rest of her lives. They were safe in her head.

It was 5 to 7 and she was preparing for an almighty battle, deadly for one of them if Riddle didn't turn up.

The door slowly creaked open...

Green.

Green eyes.

Voldemort wasn't there at the moment. Everything would be ok!

"Riddle."

"Hermione." he smiled moving closer until he stood in front of her towering her small form, forcing her to tilt her head up to keep check on his facial expressions and more importantly his eyes. "I didn't mean to scare you yesterday. I was actually worried." he glanced away, hating he had said words that could point to a weakness.

"Yes, he did say. Can you hear when he is there? Feel his emotions?"

"Yes, it's just like I'm watching from inside my own head. I did try... to stop him from hurting you."

"I don't need your protection, especially from yourself."

"I-I'm sorry."

"I know. I forgive you Tom Riddle, just keep him away from me."

"Did he scare you?"

She laughed lightly, "no, I have seen much worse things than an entity. Is that what he is?"

"I can't say, he won't let me."

"Ahh! He's said he was part of you when I questioned if he was a parasite."

"I know, I saw."

"I guess he was lying. You aren't born evil, only made."

"Huh?"

"Never mind old deaf one, let us go to class and forget the incident."

"Yes but can I take you to the Head Dorms after class to discuss something with you?"

"It will be after curfew but I can manage to get myself there." _"Finally be able to use the map and the cloak!"_

They picked up their school bags and started on the long journey to the Game Keeper's hut which was next to their Care of Magical Creatures lesson today, rushing quickly to get their as they were already behind schedule and hadn't even eaten yet._ "I wasn't hungry anyway..."_

Professor Kettleburn welcomed them quietly as they took a seat in the open grass and took out a foot of parchment and a quill plus inkpot. They turned to look at each other and begin to chat about what they supposed the lesson could be about but were stopped by the teacher's gruff voice.

"Students, today we will be studying the physical features of the dragons and luckily we have _"Oh Merlin, you bastard!"_ our own Animagus with this perfect and completely fascinating form. So Miss Delacour please could you move over to the clearing next to us and morph straight away."

"Sir? Don't I have a choice? I don't like to do it regularly anymore."

"Get on with it or you shall receive a year-long selection of detentions girl."

_"Merlin was it sexist back in the 40's! What am I, a slave?" _"Yes sir I just need to perform a charm to make it easier."

"No! Now!"

"But-But." her eyes glanced to Tom's pleading for support.

His clear voice pierced the argument, "Sir, she must perform the charm."

"Nonsense, she's just being weak. Women! Now do as I say!" With a resentful glare at the awful Professor she took a few long steps away from the students and breathed deeply before changing into her wide formed beast. She snarled angrily at the teacher causing his now dwarfed size to back up quickly away from her. This made her snort in laughter making all the students join in because it was so highly amusing.

"Behave Miss Delacour! Sit so I can point to parts of your anatomy, I only have an hour and a half left to teach them now!"

She was going to have to hold it for an hour and a half? Dumbledore only wanted it for 20 minutes at most and she had passed out after and slept for around 5 hours, she was doomed!

"Now class if you look at this area of the hide here-" she droned the idiot out, focusing only on forest and the leaves that twitched and blew quietly in the breeze, the beauty of nature didn't distract her from the pain and exhaustion that was slowly built up over each minute. After 20 minutes she started to shake noiselessly but none of the students noticed apart from Tom who only paid attention to her from the start of the lesson. She clamped her jaws together at 40 minutes as sweat started to slip down her spiked spine.

Tom watched her intentionally throughout the class ignoring the chatter of the students and the droning voice of the pompous professor, he saw her muscles clench under the strain and her eyes close shut in concentration. She would need a nap after class.

"Now I want an orderly line for those who would like a ride upon the dragon, only five minutes or so." she reacted quickly to this morphing back to human in an instant only to be met with his annoying and pompous croak of "Morph back this instant! You WILL give them this once in a lifetime experience!"

"No! I do not fly people on my back anymore, these children do not deserve that honour, do you understand me or do I have to make you?" she stumbled over her feet, fatigue plaguing her vision and a glum hoarse voice emitted from her mouth.

She strode off as quickly as her sluggish legs would carry her, her eyes drooping almost exaggeratively until she stumbled through the entrance doors and up the staircases in pursuit of the seventh floor. She made it to the sixth before her muscles started to sleep causing her to lean heavily against the walls. Hermione was just so tired.

_"What about a minute break here? I'll be fine in a minute..."_ she thought slowly, turning her back flat against the wall so she could slide down into the a foetal crouch, hugging her knees to her chest. _"Yes just a minute."_ Her eyelids dropped and she started to breathe heavily, falling asleep in the middle of the corridor.

Tom followed after her quickly, ignoring the pleas of the stupid Professor that had put her in this dangerous position. The fools they employed! She had dragged herself away, almost sleep-walking. If 20 minutes made her sleep for 5 hours, what would an hour and a bit do if she had to show actions as well causing even more strain.

He followed a corridor behind her slowing his steps as she did to hers due to the exhaustion. She looked it. At the sixth floor he realised where they were heading, safety in the RoR was an excellent plan made up in her strained, tired mind. _"Clever even when ill and fatigued."_

He was approaching the end of the corridor when he heard her already nearly non-existant footsteps stop. Tom quickened up his strides to peer around the corner into the hall she occupied. She had fallen asleep! In the middle of the corridor! He approached quietly hoping to not startle her and cause an attack like their first ever meeting, he tapped her on the shoulder but had no reply other than a sleep induced whimper. What was left to the seventh floor, half a corridor and a staircase? Tom cautiously picked her up under the bend of the knees and around the shoulders, she wiggled around a bit until her head rested on his shoulder and then sighed contently.

His long legs made the distance to the RoR almost non-existent even though she didn't weigh much at all, abnormally small in stature, she caused discomfort in his body, not his arms... or legs... or any other part that wasn't his male anatomy...

She was an attractive girl, not only in appearance but in personality, her thirst for knowledge only drawing him in more, like to opposite magnets. After the door appeared to look like his Head Boy room he laid her down on his bed and sat in his chair staring at her. She was so interesting even in her sleep, making small noises, turning and twisting. His eyes drooped after observing her for an hour. She would be asleep for a long time, why not be well rested for when that happened?

* * *

_"NEVILLE! NOOOO! YOU CAN'T, don't please!?" her voice echoed through the battle field over all the other screams, pain caused moans, shrieking... laughing. He ignored her, fighting Bellatrix Lestrange, set on revenge for his parents. He wouldn't stop until the bitch was dead, she knew that but he didn't see the 10 Death Eaters slowly circling him, trapping him to get a good Avada on him. He didn't see them! Only having selective vision on the black-haired lunatic in front of him. "Neville! Please!" Nothing._

_She understood why he was oblivious to the outside world at the moment, this was a moment he had been after since his parents had gone insane, in a sense it was worse that them being dead, knowing they weren't your parents anymore, knowing they were there but never coming back. She understood. Running to him, throwing Avadas, dark curses and anything she could think of, Hermione screamed for his attention but he didn't notice over the racket surrounding them._

_She couldn't lose him, he was the last one left, her boys and everyone else she had grown up with gone, she couldn't live without him. 30 new Death Eaters disapparated into the field, all surrounding him making her lose her sight of him. She couldn't leave him!_

_"HERMIONE! GO! RUN NOW! SAVE THE REST!" he screamed in the middle of the circle. But she couldn't do it! Multiple dark curses were hurled at him, all oblivious to her location behind them, she saw they were torturing him. Crucios hit him one after another, blood dripping from his mouth, an eye gouged out, a hand in shreds but he was smiling. He was going home to his Luna, his beloved Luna. _

_Hermione stood watching for hours as they tortured him until he lost his mind, until he wet himself and forgot how to talk, until he wasn't Neville anymore. Just a lump of bones and flesh on the floor. Tears streamed down her eyes as some of the Death Eaters left turning to look in her direction so she quickly put the Invisibility Cloak on, still watching her only friend left. He deserved it! Only 5 Death Eaters remained discussing what they could do next to his almost lifeless form, so she did what she had to do, what he would of wanted, what her last friend deserved._

_She was going to be alone again but that was ok, Neville wouldn't he would have his family back. She was ok..._

_"Say hello to them all for me my dear dear friend, I'm so sorry..." pointing her wand at the still breathing last Hogwarts child she said the killing curse quickly and for once in her life thought that that certain curse had done something wonderful, something incredible._

_It had set her Neville free..._

_She came back for the body that night still in the cloak, tears and mucus covering her face, it hurt to look at him, just like all the others, he was gone and she was alone to bury him with the rest of her companions, he was her last one to do. The clearing looked majestic, all the gravestones covered in starlight, making them look as divine as they were in real life while she hid in the shadows._

_She smiled, he was gone to her but back with the rest of her family..._

_He was safe..._

_She wasn't that night. Greyback had found her a few miles away from the graveyard..._

* * *

Her screaming tortured his already mutilated soul, it was heart retching, soul breaking, the cries of a person who knew that pain couldn't get worse than this. It was so loud and so ferrous he thought blood would stream out of his ears. He had tried everything, magic and potions alike but nothing worked, she kept crying out for someone to save her, for her Neville to come back and save her because she couldn't have left her here to him. Who was him?

He sat on the edge of his bed in the RoR and grabbed both of her flailing arms to stop her from hurting herself. It seemed to calm her, physical contact so he wrapped his arms around her shivering form and kicked off his shoes to lie down under the covers, she seemed to snuggle into him, stopping all movements and began to breathe normally. It was 3 o'clock on Saturday so he didn't have to get up early or anything, instead tucked up with the angel that wept.

Who was Neville? A friend? A brother like the other boys? An... ex lover? His heart clenched painfully, she was his now! She didn't know it but she was! She couldn't belong to someone else!

He stayed hugging her delicate form until around 6 when she awoke for the first time in over 18 hours, instantly clawing at him, telling him that she didn't know where Harry was, that she could have sex again. It hurt to hear those words, she was afraid of him, even as Voldemort she wasn't afraid of him but now with physical contact she begged for mercy, for forgiveness. It hurt...

Almost immediately she realised it was him, and sighed exasperated. She was safe...

"Who is Hermione Jean Granger?"

"Her-Hermione Jean Granger doesn't exist, she was my alias when I fought in the battle front against Grindelwald, she was my safety net and only a select few know me by that name. She is no one, a dead person that never had a chance to live."

"And Neville? Who is he?" she gasped shocked, how did he know that name? He seemed to realise this as though he had read her mind, which he hadn't as her walls were up, and said calmly, "You were begging for him to return in your sleep, was he your bo-boyfriend?"

"No! Neville was the last one left before me, he was a great friend of mine, that's all I shall say about him, he deserves to be left buried."

He inaudiory let out a sigh, he wasn't her boyfriend! She had a chance to be with him!

"Who is Rose?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for all my lovely reviews; I'm now at around 20 so thanks to everyone! You are all so kind! This chapter may be a little distressing and you will find out who Rose's father is. I am warning you there is some slightly graphic stuff to be included so heads up, it shouldn't be too bad though!**

**Any questions or queries don't hesitate to ask!**

**I do not own Harry Potter!**

* * *

"_Who is Rose?"_

It was an excellent question but how could she answer it? How could she describe her little girl, the one she had lost, the one who had died hating her so strongly she was thought of as a mini Death Eater. At that point her daughter was gone, lost in the darkness never to return but she had just been a tool. When Hermione had been captured again they had used Rose to destroy her, to break her down so she would spill all the secrets but she had been a pawn, they had killed her as soon as they realised it wasn't going to work. And they had made Hermione watch…

Watch as her Rose screamed for her Mummy, for forgiveness, for anything. And she had just watched.

"Rose was my daughter; she was 6 years old when she died. I was a war figure head and they wanted to target me so they took her away when she was 4 and the next time I saw her was two years later when they had indoctrinated her and she had forgotten who I was." He starred at her puzzled.

"So how old were you when you had her?"

Ahh! She wasn't 21 anymore, she was supposed to be 16, she was 16 in fact. "I was 11 when I had her, so young but so involved in a war I had grown up in anticipation for."

"Who-who was her father? Did you love him?" the question caused her to chuckle, she had expected it, heard it so many times before in fact that it had no effect on her anymore. She hadn't really known Rose's father, grown up with him but never really known him.

"No, I could never have loved him, he was a bit of a prat, pureblood and snobbish and totally indoctrinated against all Muggleborns and Muggles but it wasn't his fault he grew up like that, I could never blame him when he didn't want it either.

* * *

"_Go on Draco, have a go at her! Practice your technique before you have to bed any Purebloods, that's all Mudbloods are for anyway, just shag her and bring her back in an hour or so." She looked up at him, his eyes focusing in on hers completely scared shitless but his eyes held that innocence she had lost so long ago. He was still a child, stuck in a war just like her but he had no choice in what he did so there he was clad in the Death Eater uniform forced to lose his virginity to her._

_He grabbed her under the arms and pulled her up to her feet, her limbs had lost their muscles under all the crucios and physical abuse, she was just so weak, so helpless. He didn't want to touch her that way, not because she was a Mudblood but because she was the Light, the Light that would stop Voldemort and his reign of terror meaning he would be free. He had always admired her from afar, her strength to do what was right even when it was the hardest option, the impossible one._

_Draco dragged her to his bedroom and threw her on the bed, she looked at him with pleading eyes, begging for him to not touch her like the others had. He had seem them do it all to her, watched from the sidelines with his father who wouldn't let him turn away, she deserved it the whore he had said. But she didn't, he knew that with all his heart._

"_I won't touch you Granger, I give you my word."_

"_Malfoy, do you really thing I believe any shit that comes from your mouth, just get on with it." She lay on the bed and looked up at the ceiling too repulsed to even look at him. She didn't understand what they would do to him!_

"_I promise! I just want to talk." And talk they did, about anything, everything because it was the first time in 6 months for her to have somebody to talk to, to tell them what was on her mind, to cry with. At the end of the two hours they ruffled up their clothes and she cut her own lip and smeared the blood on his mouth. He looked at it puzzled, it wasn't muddy? Why did they say it then?_

_Of course it wasn't that simple, they knew that nothing had happened when they returned to the dining room where she was being kept at the moment so they could use her for entertainment. The Death Eaters laughed at Draco Malfoy, calling him weak and a blood traitor, forcing him to take her right there. He didn't want to do that, she wasn't the opposition, she was just a casualty in the war, someone he had grown up with and learnt that all the remarks he had made at school were wrong._

_She looked at him and nodded, he didn't understand, why would she want him to do that?_

_Hermione looked around the room memorising each face that surrounded her as Draco pulled her on top of the table, she felt so sorry for him, having to lose his virginity to her with so many people watching. She had thought back to the rumours about how he was supposed to be a Sex God but actually he had told her he only wanted to make love to his wife, his one and only. She had endured so many men she would never think about sex innocently like that. He was a man without a choice so she would do it for him. To save him._

_He pulled her clothes off ignoring the whistles and shrieks about hitting her and just focused on her eyes that wandered around them but ignored him completely. The Death Eaters cheered when he finally finished and moved away from her fragile body, he felt so guilty. Would she forgive him? She grabbed her clothes but many of the men stopped her and took a turn to have her, carving their names on her thigh after finishing each go. The list on her leg was so long it burnt his eyes to look at it, she was still innocent in his mind, her Gryffindor side the only thing he focused on, this wasn't her just a ghost of what was. _

_Hours later he visited her in her cell, she was huddled up in the middle in the moonlight starring at the large globe, oblivious to his entry._

"_Do you think you could ever forgive me?" he whispered peering at her as she turned to look at him, she looked so… small. So fragile._

"_No."_

"_Oh, you have to know I'm so sorry, I didn't want to do it."_

"_I don't forgive you because there is nothing to forgive, you had no choice so I made it for you but starting it, I don't blame you Draco." He hadn't been expecting that, hate or anger yes but acceptance was the furthest thing he had expected from her._

"_They will come for you."_

"_I know."_

* * *

"His name was Draco and I don't blame him at all, we were on opposite sides of the war and he had known me before. I think if he had survived her would have been a good man, he had the potential to be when I last saw him."

"Did you ever love anybody?"

"You could say I loved a lot of people but no I was never in love, something I am very glad about, it makes it difficult to function when you lose them. Umm, what's the time?"

"It's around 7 now, but it's a Saturday."

"I have to be off quickly." She wanted to use the map and the cloak to check out the restricted section in the library but before Tom had told her that she had left her bag and he had seen Eileen pick it up. She wouldn't be able to look in it, the protection charms placed on it would probably cut her fingers off if they felt threatened.

She quickly got off the bed where they had been sat cross-legged on talking and left the Room of Requirement with Tom starring at her back, he wanted to stay and think about a few things.

On her way back to the Slytherin common room she left a disturbance in the air, magic polluted it and swirled maliciously around her like it did the night Voldemort had made his first appearance to her. But it wasn't his magic, it was quite a few all mixed together. She continued walking until she heard footsteps behind her, Hermione looked over her shoulder and saw 4 boys following her, she turned to continue walking but ran into a thick wall of muscle.

Abraxas Malfoy stood in front of her towering above her tiny form, backed by another 3 boys making the total up to 8.

"Well, well ,well! What do we have here?" he sneered at her cruelly, curling his supposedly handsome into that of a bulldog's frown.

"I thought we were friends Abraxas?"

"Yes but if we are friends, what are the benefits for me?" he arched his eyebrows seductively and grabbed her hand that was reaching for her wand while another grabbed her friend from behind taking it from its holster.

"Stay outside while we get… reacquainted inside." She didn't remember what corridor she was in, so what hope did she have of knowing if there was anyone around she could shout to for help.

Abraxas dragged her inside as she clawed at his hand on her shoulder mercilessly but he ignored the cuts and blood streaming from his hand and just grabbed her by the hair and threw her on a desk. "Now, now precious. You are a fine specimen aren't you?" he looked her figure up and down before settling on her chest.

"Eyes up 6 inches you pervert!" she shouted as he stayed staring but moved closer.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way Hermione…"

"Go to hell asshole!"

"Well that settles it then, I do like it rough!" she backed away quickly as he approached until her thighs made contact with the side of the table. How was she going to get out of this? Wandless magic.

Nothing, her emotions were going haywire and it couldn't be focused enough for an attack_, "Well there is always the Muggles option…"_

He grabbed her and pushed her on top of the table so she swung her best right hook, it was perfectly aimed but was stopped by him simply grabbing her hand, he was just so much stronger…

"Malfoy please!"

"I always get what I want but you've been spending all your time with that, that… half blood idiot!" what? Were his followers rebelling against his authority?

"Malfoy…"

"No you listen you pathetic whore, I'm going to use you and your going to be a good little slut and tell nobody!"

It was going to happen all over again, her eyes shut trying to block out the images, each and every time something like this had happened, each and every time she was forced to live with the consequences that others left her…

He stated pulling off her clothes as she kicked and screamed at him, biting and clawing, punching and kicking but nothing seemed to faze him, he just kept unclothing her. She screamed for anyone. For Harry, for Ron, for Dumbledore and for Neville but it didn't help.

Tears slipped from her eyes as he started to undress himself, she had promised herself that she wouldn't let this happen again, not after Greyback the last time a few months before she had given up.

She cried for anyone, for the dead to come back and help her, to be back with them, to have died that first time out of the 109 times. She crawled away from him as he was distracted by his zipper on his trousers, cutting her knees open in her quick movements but he just grabbed her by the ankle and dragged her back. It wasn't fair.

She closed her eyes.

After a minute of nothing she reopened them to see Tom Riddle stood in front of her and Abraxas on the floor twitching about with his mouth open in silent agony. She grabbed Malfoy's robe of the floor and quickly put it on. "Don't kill him…" she whispered and Tom just stared at her wide eyed. If he died Draco wouldn't exist and that good 4 years with Rose would never have happened.

"But… he…"

"I know…" Abraxas fell unconscious, his muscles still twitching in an almost unrealistic method.

"Did I- did I get here in time?" he paled at the thought.

"Yes… thank you."

"Are you hurt?" she hadn't been asked that in years, nobody had time to care about her wounds when they had others, worse ones to sort.

"Not really." Her knees gave way as she took her first step towards him, his arms instinctively catching her and sitting her on the desk.

"I need to lift up your robe to take a look…" he was bent down looking up at her, crouching to take an inspection of her visible legs that had blood trails leading up.

"Ok. Tom? Did-did Voldemort come back?"

"No." he lifted the robe up to her thighs showing her knees that were shredded to pieces, blood streaming from them but she hadn't even winced he noticed. She was very good with pain.

He quickly healed her with spells like "Episkey!" and "Scourify" to clean the blood and stop infection, she jumped off the table and headed to the door pulling him along by the hand. Tom like how her little hand fitted perfectly into his large one, she was so delicate, so feminine in some of her actions.

"How did you find me?"

It had completely slipped his mind, he had left the RoR and had seen a very… startling thing and went to find her only to be blocked by 7 seventh years when he went past a classroom on the 2nd floor heading in the direction of the library. So he had… peeked inside after disabling them all. He thanked Merlin that he had done so.

"Oh! I have your wand by the way, I took it off one of the boys." He looked at her as she turned to him, "I saw something on the wall of one of the corridors and went looking for you to find your opinion on it. It was just luck that I found you so quickly."

"What was it on the wall?" he sped up with her still attached to his hand and turned a left corner.

"This!"

The blood drained from her face, her eyes frantically reading the writing on the wall, how was it possible that they knew? How did they bloody know?

Omega

We await you were the secrets rest,

Where the moon died,

And where you have hid before.

Time is a messy business, isn't it?

It wasn't the centaurs, they wouldn't write a message in blood, they would just call on her. It wasn't a student, it wasn't a Professor, she didn't have a clue.

It was definitely talking to her, Omega seemed to be her fabled name from most creatures. I

She was going to have to return to the Chamber of Secrets…

* * *

_Hermione couldn't remember why they nicknamed Luna Lovegood Moon, it was just something they did, probably having to do with the fact that Luna sounded like Lunar so you just put the dots together. She didn't know._

_Luna was like an aunty to Rose at 2 years old, she would babble on about the Wrackspurts for hours but it seemed to entertain Rose, kept her quiet. An ambush on Hogwarts by a dozen or so Death Eaters drove Luna and Hermione to go to the Chamber of Secrets to hide, they would be save inside there as only Hermione and Harry could get inside._

_Rose was with Mrs Weasley and the rest of the family on a break for a few weeks so she could concentration on helping Harry with researching the Horcruxes as well as the Deathly Hallows. It was tricky business._

_They didn't know that Voldemort himself was inside the castle and had let 4 Death Eaters into the Chamber while he went to the Headmasters' office, they didn't notice them until the spells started flying._

_They went down one by one until only the last stood, he smirked and shot an unknown curse at Luna while Hermione threw the Half-blooded Prince's curse at him, he bled out quickly and died so Hermione had turned to Luna to congratulate her but something was wrong. She was staring blankly ahead like a child's doll, unblinking and unresponsive._

"_Luna?" she cried and ran to the girl as she collapsed on the floor, her chest heaving and her eyes rolling into the back of her head. "LUNA!" she screamed shaking her body._

"_You know it feels like my blood is dissolving my tissue Hermione…" she said matter of factually looking into Hermione's caramel eyes. Hermione burst out crying. "Don't cry, it will be ok."_

_Her throat clogged up after that and she struggled to breathe, choking on her words. "S-s-s-stay?" she croaked._

"_Of course…" Hermione held her as she screamed, her blood having turned to acid, it would be quick at least. "You know Luna, Rose loves you a lot, thinks of you like an Aunty, I was going to ask you to be Godmother."_

_Luna's eyes had rolled into the back of her head, tears streaming down her face as sobbed rocked her chest. Luna stayed snug in her arms long after she died, being rocked back and forward for hours until Harry came down with Neville looking for them. Neville had grabbed her from her arms, begging her to wake up, pleading for her to open her ocean blue eyes. That was when they had truly lost Neville._

_And the Moon had died._

* * *

Hermione's chest erupted in sobs, shaking her body in gasping breaths. She wasn't ready to die today! It couldn't be then end this time could it?

"Tom, go get Dumbledore, he-he'll know what to do." He wouldn't, it was up to her now. As Tom quickly strode off she turned and ran to the Slytherin common room entering and running to her bed in the dorms, on top lay her bag which she grabbed and slung over her shoulders. She sprinted out again, ignoring the stares and whispers and ran the Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

Moaning Myrtle… was she dead already?

It was quiet when she entered the bathroom, water drenching the floor and dust visible in the light streaming through the windows. She crept up to the sinks and found the engraving of the snake. _"What to say?"_

"**Grant me access to the Chamber!" **she commanded in the native tongue of snakes, the chamber open quickly… she turned to look around, what if she died this time? She didn't know what she was up against! What if she got Dumbledore? No she needed to go; they had used human blood that meant they could have a prisoner. A child.

She jumped…

It was just like she remembered from the many times she had visited it but without the rotting carcass in the corner. A body lay in front of the statue of Salazar just like Harry had described all those years ago with Ginny but this was a young boy. A first year Gryffindor.

"I bet your wondering who that young child is Hermione Granger." It was a statement, not a question. She turned to find a man with the darkest black of hair and handsome features wearing greens, next to him stood a beautiful woman dressed in royal blues with a tiara on her head. Next to that woman was a man with the fiercest of reds as his hair along with the same hues as his robes and again beside him stood and shorter woman in yellow, with a pretty smile and delicate features.

"Welcome Omega…"

**Hope you liked this chapter, bet you can guess who the 4 people are but who is the boy? Please review if possible and I hope to write a new chapter within the next few weeks but it may be difficult as I have loads of work to do and am using a borrowed PC as mine is broken ****. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Heyy! Well done to all those who guess the founders, spot on! But the boy… well all shall be revealed! That's to my many reviews and those who have favourited or followed my story; I can't believe I'm at chapter 10! It's a miracle. Thank you all for the support and ideas, please feel welcome to do so again if possible. So just wanted to thank you all!**

**This starts from when Tom left for Dumbledore, and may get a bit hectic but all straws should pull together at the end and make a clear picture for you all, if not fell free to ask any questions!**

**I do not own Harry Potter!**

* * *

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore sat in his Transfiguration office listening to Tom Riddle, the future Dark Lord panicking about some writing on the wall. It was… startling how much he could actually feel, a man who was supposed to take over the world and slaughter thousands of innocents.

"Professor you heard what it said! What does it mean? You should take a look Sir! Quickly follow me!" the young boy startled the aging Professor by pulling him to his feet and rushing out the door leaving him trailing behind. Tom had said Hermione had been with him but where was she now? If anyone out of the two would go to him it would be her. Where was she?

Tom turned the corridor expecting to find Hermione waiting for him but all he found was an empty deserted corridor with the blood written writing still dripping down the wall. Where was she? "Professor here it is but… Hermione has disappeared Sir."

"I expect she had to do something very important." Dumbledore said turning to look at the wall straight ahead. His eyebrows shot up. Yes he knew what the centaurs and magical creatures around the castle called her, but the knowledge they possessed that only he had only ever slightly touched on. This person knew her probably.

"Send a Patronus immediately Tom, I think Hermione might be in danger!"

"I-I can't Sir, I have never been able to do a Patronus…" Albus nodded his head and raised his wand performing the spell causing a great phoenix to emerge and fly away.

"Maybe we should follow it Sir?"

"You go ahead Tom I must inform the school, keep a look out for Miss Granger."

"_Why does Dumbledore naturally call her Granger?" _Tomthought cynically, wandering what he was missing out on.

The phoenix trailed ahead slowly waiting for him to catch up so he ran after it as it delved through walls and twisted quietly and swiftly around corners. It was leading him to the 2nd floor he realised, specifically in the direction of the bathroom._ "No! How could she be there?"_

The light trail it left was the only thing he saw as he ran into the bathroom. The beautiful ghostlike phoenix darted down the _open_ entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. How was it possible? He ran quickly through his ancestors hide away, ignoring all the things he had usually been fascinated with until he came to the main chamber, the one that housed his Basilisk behind the wall with Slytherins carving on it. But before that lay a body, small in form, dressed in the uniform.

Their dark hair flowing out around them, creating a dark halo that circled their too pale face.

Hermione.

Next to her lay a much better looking young child, flushed and between the land of the living and the unconscious. Starting to stir, he looked up in confusion at the body that lay beside him and started shaking her, her violet piercing eyes opened warily as she turned over and grabbed the boy checking him for injuries. She looked around and spotted him, trying with great difficulty to get up, all her energy sapped.

"Tom, you have to-have to get him out of here quick-quickly." She sounded so tired, so lifeless. "Get him away from here!" she sluggishly started pushing the boy in the direction of Tom who grabbed his still unsteady form. "What about you?"

"I'll be fine, go now!" she raised her wand and blasted them all the way to the start of the chamber as she clambered to be feet slowly. Her energy was being sucked from her, taken leaving her almost unresponsive. But it was worth it, if she died now.

Harry James Potter would have a future.

* * *

"_Welcome Omega…" they spoke together as one entity, all stood over the young boy with raven coloured hair._

"_Who is the boy?" she said impatiently, moving closer while equipping her wand._

"_Why don't you know? He should look familiar..." said Rowena Ravenclaw smirking majestically._

"_NO! You can't! Leave him alone! Please!" she screamed running to his almost lifeless body. She couldn't let him die! Not him!_

"_We have no choice, like the diary of Tom Riddle; we need the life force of another to sustain our own."_

"_But you're the founders; you protect the students of Hogwarts!" Hermione cast the strongest shielding spell she knew and reinforced it with the new Time magic. Trying anything to stop the magic leaking out of the child._

"_Sacrifice is for the greater good." Where had she heard that before? So many times it had been used for the wrong reasons._

"_Who gives you the right to choice what is for the greater good, you have been dead for over 2 millennia!"_

"_Yes but we have always been here, watching, waiting for you." They said together as one circling her and the boy, raising their wands to the slight shimmer in the air._

"_Please leave him alone!" she could lose him, it wasn't fair! If he was gone… she shivered dreadfully at the thought._

"_We could transfer the drain to you but you would die Omega."_

"_Yes! Yes! I accept! I ACCEPT!" she screamed looking around frantically at their faces, shock and smirks appeared on their features, she realised that this was a trap. A trap for her, and she had been caught._

"_Step out of the circle." She did so with no trepidation, no regret, she would die if it came to it for this boy._

_Charlus Potter. Harry's grandfather. Kill him and there was no Harry Potter. No hope._

_A chant started between the four each purposely locking eyes with the other, the different colours of their magic mixed together around her, inside her and she felt so high, like a bird, floating around freely. Then it stopped._

_She could feel it leaving her, her magic seeping away to them as they grinned manically, these couldn't be the founders? Could they?_

_"Who-who sum-summoned you? They must have summoned you."_

"_Ah! The great Grindelwald himself."_

_Had she heard that correctly or was she already losing her mind before she lost her life? The founders were brought back by Grindelwald? What happened to Bravery? Loyalty? Intelligence? Cunning? Where had the original founders gone? The ones that made the school to protect and teach their students._

"_We know what you are thinking Hermione Granger. Time had altered us each day since our deaths. You see we each caught a small piece of Time before, nothing as strong as you, no nothing at all. But we ingrained it in out very magical essence, it backfired and that is how he could summon us from the dead. With you."_

"_H-how?" her eyes started to droop._

"_Your blood of course. You have a traitor around you. A follower of Grindelwald."_

"_How do you know about my past, the future?"_

"_We were dead, we did not exist in time anymore so we saw all that ever was and all that ever will be. It was beautiful, like staring into Time itself and drawing a map of all that ever was. We could rewrite history! Kill the Gods, destroy worlds! The power we had as immortals we shall have here on Earth when you die and give Time to us again."_

_She had to get Charlus out of here, save him from these… twisted monsters. She had always been told that power corrupts even the truest of hearts; she had never believed it till now. The founders themselves had been corrupted by power._

_Her eyes closed as her magic seeped from her pores twisting around until it hit one of the four entities. They weren't the original founders. Only a twisted copy._

_She was going to die down here._

_Yes, she would see Harry again. And his future self would be safe because of her sacrifice. _

_What had Dumbledore said when she met him in the light after death? "So you chose to save them? To sacrifice yourself for them?" Yes, they would be safe when she died._

* * *

She hadn't expected to be found until Harry opened the Chamber in Second Year by then she would be long dead, just a rotting corpse. Maybe not even that, just a pile of bones. But Tom Riddle had to come down and spoil it! She already knew she was going to die; well at least Charlus would be safe. He had shaken her back to reality until she sent him to Riddle so she would get up, die duelling and rest peacefully for eternity in the Chamber. It was so simple.

The founders hadn't expected him which was unusual, they said to have mapped out time but he had been a missing piece. Her mind was too foggy to think it over. She had heard spells being thrown until she was grabbed and picked up. Her eyesight fuzzy, she could just picture out Riddle with his wand threatening the person holding her. Merlin this was all such a hassle. Why couldn't they just let her die?

"Hermione, you must stay awake! Don't close your eyes and fall to sleep. You will die if you do." Riddle said emotionally for once.

"Is-its ok. They're waiting for me Tom, just like I have been waiting for them." She shut her eyes again ignoring his pleas for her to stay awake.

"The rest are dead! Only I Salazar Slytherin behold the power of Time. The Omega is mine!" the voice behind her cackled. Omega? She was so tired. Where had she heard that before? Firence? No… Firenze? Yes! That was it. He had said something to her… about the end was it? "Omega?" she had asked. "I shall see you in the end." He had replied.

So she wasn't supposed to die today, but what about the boys, they were waiting. She wanted to be with them all again, would it matter if she died now? No she couldn't break the Prophesy they had made about her; she wouldn't die today even if she tried.

It seemed luck was always going to be against her, she couldn't even die when she wanted to. Riddle was still calling to her, her subconscious picking up on it while her mind worked on other things. She bet he had questions. For later of course.

How to get rid of Dark Magic? Maybe the simplest of magic would work? The purest there was. A Patronus.

"Riddle. Riddle. P-Patronus. Patron-nus." She stuttered as her throat was choked by the strong arm of the evil asshole behind her. He was trying to kill her quicker.

She waited for a while expecting the bright lights of the charm but nothing happened, forcing her to open her eyes to the defeated form of Tom Riddle, sprayed out on the ground. Slytherin chuckled darkly behind her. Using all her remaining energy she slammed her elbow into his gut so he would let go and stumbled to the ground as he reached to grab her hair. Using all the magic left in her body, she created the first ever wandless Patronus charm. As her eyes drifted closed she saw all of them there to protect her. The Stag, the Jack Russell, her Otter, the Hare, the Bore, the Cat, the Lynx, the Werewolf, she saw everyone's essence fighting to protect her and as she thought she took her last breathe…

She smiled.

She remembered back to her first year when she was crying in the Library, sad that she didn't have any friends, she remembered when she had been saved by Harry and Ron from the troll, when they had gotten through the Devil's Snare, when she was petrified, when she and Harry had saved Sirius and Buckbeak, when she trained Harry for the Triwizard tournament, Dumbledore's Army, Slughorn in Potions when Harry had for the first time beaten her at something, when they had gone camping in the forest looking for evidence of other Horcruxes. She remembered how they all had died after her 2nd capture, the one after Bellatrix had tortured her. How they had dropped off slowly one by one, taking a part of her with them when each one died.

She remembered all the rapes, the tortures, her screams, her calls for Harry and Ron the night when Greyback had found her, she had memorized every moment with them. Hermione smiled in her sleep, she wasn't ever going to forget them like she thought she would.

She compared every simple sexual act she had ever been in or participated in, the good and the bad. She thought that if she slept with others, the pleasure would overcome the pain she had experienced. It did to an extent but she always woke up the night after remembering each detail of every rape she had ever experienced. After hundreds of men she gave up altogether, she had slept with more men in a year than most did in a lifetime.

She didn't blame him but Harry had started her off, it was the night Ginny had died.

* * *

"_Harry, she loved you." She said calmly cuddling his frail body to her, stopping the tremors that surfaced every now and again._

"_But she's gone. She left me all alone!" he screamed into her chest tears streaming out of his red puffy eyes and staining her shirt._

"_She was taken from you Harry, she didn't have a choice. Ginny loved you with all her heart!" she rubbed his back soothingly, her own eyes watering, she wouldn't cry, Harry needed her to be the strong one for once._

"_How do I know who will go next? Who will leave me alone next?" he whispered moving to look into her eyes, wanting to see her reaction for the plan he had just thought off._

"_You don't, but you must live in the moment, have no regrets." She had said the perfect answer. He quickly closed his eyes and kissed her deeply. "Harry…"_

"_Please."_

"_But what-"_

"_Please Hermione."_

_She knew he was only after the physical contact, so he would know she was there. He would regret it in the morning, she would probably too. He was asking so much of her, not knowing that she was pregnant, that she didn't want such male contact yet but for once this was what he needed. To know she was there._

_She deepened the kiss and grabbed his hand dragging him to the bed and laying down so he could climb on top. It wasn't fair of him to use her like this; she had done so much for him. They quickly unclothed._

_After he had finished she lay in bed thinking back on it, Ron was out so that was fine, Harry was asleep next to her and for once she felt peaceful, he had been nice to her, gentle unlike any other experience she had endured before. Sex was good. _

_After that night she took advantage of any male contact she could get and she and Harry never discussed it again, though he did question her if he was the father of what would later be called Rose. She told him she was about 3 months along when they had shagged so he calmed down quickly. Male contact was pleasurable, nothing like what had happened at the Manor, only Draco had ever been gentle with her there._

_She liked it for once. Hermione wasn't sure if she wanted to hit Harry for what he had forced her to do or thank him because it gave her a new light on it all. But after Rose was born, she didn't sleep around as often as she did before, only when she had the chance, not like before when she went searching for it. Rose gave her a new meaning to life. _

_Until she was taken away and Hermione was raped again._

_And again and again…_

* * *

Tom watched her sleep in the hospital bed, making sure she didn't fall out of bed with all her rolling and twisting. She was so interesting to watch. He had attempted Legilimency multiple times with only one success, he wished he hadn't though. She had been remembering all her… sexual experiences through out her life. He needed to talk to her though, she was around her age now when she was first… active. If that was the right word for it. She had had sex so many times, been raped triple that, only a select few, about 60, carved their initials on her thigh, meaning there had to be hundreds of them in total.

Normally he would of thought such a person a whore, a slut, any foul name he could think of but he had experience them along side her. Felt what she felt, heard what they called her. It was bloody horrific. He hated the fact that she had turned to sex as an escape, it had all been that raven-haired boy that started it, using their friendship to get some action after his love had died. _"Poor Hermione, being used like that."_

He understood why she had done it but every time he had closed his eyes and tried to block out the screams… or moans. It was quite weird for him as he was a virgin, know that the person he wanted had been used, used others and experienced things that he had not.

In the real world away from her mind he had so much to ask her about; when he had regained consciousness he had found her almost dead being guarded by about 20 different Patronuses. He had been absolutely speechless.

He had to carry her all the way to the hospital wing worrying that she had already died. She was so pale, so cold, and so beautiful. He thought at that moment when he entered the hospital wing that he loved her. He had never loved anyone before, it felt so foreign yet so right. She was perfect for him in every way, beautiful, compassionate, caring, and intelligent, just so… Hermione.

But he knew that she would not love him back. Yet. He would stay as her friend until she was ready and that probably wouldn't be for a long time, but he could wait, would wait for her.

After 4 days out she woke up still exhausted, but shouting a quick "Charlus!" Tom bolted from his seat next to her bed and grabbed onto her hand.

"Hermione, I can't believe you're awake."

"Charlus! Is he alright?"

"Yes, he is already out of the hospital wing and back in lessons."

She stumped back into her scratchy bed smiling and closed her eyes. "Hermione?"

She sighed and opened an eye to stare at him, angry that he wouldn't let her return to her adventures with the boys. "Yes Riddle?"

"What happened down there, wait how did you even get down there?"

"Magic."

"Hermione!"

"I can not tell you under threat of breaking a magical oath." A lie but it would do to stall him for a while.

"Lie, magical oaths have not been used in over 300 years and no one knows how to complete them." or not it seemed.

"I can't tell you Tom, it will ruin things that have already been set in motion."

"Well tell me who they were and who sent them!" what a tricky question.

"The founders, they were sent by… Grindelwald, he is still after me." Not the complete truth but she was supposed to have survived Grindelwald so adding that he was after her was probably ok. Why had he sent the founders back to drain her? Did he know it was her that was Time? Or just a student?

"The founders?"

"Yes look Tom, I'm really tired, wait do you have my bag?" she shot up out of bed scanning the room for her possessions.

"You mean this." He held up her rucksack, open and still intact. "You have very odd things in here, a horrid cloak and a useless piece of parchment, some pictures, potions and other odd things. Tell me about them please?" he sat next to the bed on his chair and placed the bag next to here on the bed.

"Those things are private and mine, how did you get past my wards?"

"You have been out for 4 days now Hermione, it took me 3 just to work out what you had placed on it; I had to regrow a finger… twice!" he waved his perfectly intact hand in front of her smiling broadly. "Your magical skills are superb by the way."

"Thank you." She said with a curt nod.

"So… what are they?"

"Secret."

"Please Hermione?" he sounded just like Harry did that night, she flinched away and he look at her understandingly. He knew.

"You shouldn't have had to do that for him."

"You shouldn't have been in my memories, what else have you seen?"

"Nothing else I promise, only the things that caused you the most distress. He shouldn't have done that to you."

"I know but I had the choice in the end."

"It wasn't right."

"I knew that at the time as well."

Silence filled the air as he stared at her, making her feel like he could see her very soul. It was hard to ignore his piercing green eyes that followed her every action.

"So… How's Voldemort?" she winced, that wasn't the best small talk she had thought up of.

"Well I suppose." He smirked after catching her small action.

"I'm tired. Go away?" he chuckled at her pitiful whimper attempt to make him leave, what she didn't know was that he had been sleeping here, in that very chair, to make sure she was alright.

"Ok but I sleep in the bed next to you. You know I was in a battle not that many days ago." He said pompously rolling his eyes and toeing his shoes off as he sat on the bed next to her that was only cornered off by a curtain.

"Night Mr Riddle." He chuckled darkly.

"Goodnight Miss Delacour."

He listened to her change in breathing over the next hour as she drifted off to sleep. As he closed his eyes and started to fall himself he was disturbed by the sound of hooves entering the wing. _"Strange." _he thought. Muttering could be heard coming from the creatures until a distinctive "Omega! Wake up!" could be heard over the top of all the background noise.

Hermione moaned in protest and turned over until her blanket was stolen from her causing an instant reflex of grabbing her wand and the throat of the attacker. "O-Omega!"

She instantly let go of the foal and replied a quick "Sorry Firenze."

Tom was surprised, startled, shocked! Hermione was the Omega on the wall and the one the founders and Grindelwald himself wanted, plus she was in contact with the Centaurs, a race that hadn't interacted with humans in over 3 millennia. She was extraordinary!

"I heard what happened from the elders, they had seen it with their powers, I don't actually understand them, and wanted to check you were alright, I knew you wouldn't die but you could have been hurt. Oh and they said to pass on a message to you."

"Thank you young foal, I am alright. What is the message?"

"The elders were talking long and hard about this, it went on for hours before they made up their minds. When the moon is at its fullest and the rivers run high, you must kill the Dark Lord."

"What? But he's just a boy; he doesn't understand what will happen in the future!" _"Huh? What is she on about?"_

"Not Tom Marvolo Riddle. You, Hermione Jean Granger must defeat Grindelwald."

…

"WHAT!"

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to review.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Dear all, I'm sooo happy you are all enjoying this. Each review really cheers me up and helps guide me in my writing, so please continue to do so! The next chapter after this may not be up for a while but I am hoping for 45 reviews by the time it is up. If not ah well! Still enjoy the story…**

**I do not own Harry Potter!**

"_Ginny!"_

_No reply came from the corridor her best friend had just entered. They were in the middle of looking for a manuscript on Horcruxes that Harry had persuaded them to look for. The full moon shone down on then through the dust-covered windows causing a gloomy and dark atmosphere in the house._

"_Ginny!" Hermione called again but no reply came. She started to worry, her hand clenched tightly on her already equipped wand making her knuckles stick out in a white comparison to the dark night._

"_Ginny please!" she grasped the handle to the door at the end of the corridor and took a deep breath before slamming it open and scanning the room voraciously. The lights were on and eliminated the room creating dark shadows on the walls surrounding her. Ginny was gone, disappeared from a one exit room. "__**Apparation trace?"**__ Hermione thought cautiously._

_Her charm revealed the location of the last apparition- Riddle Manor. __**"Shit!"**__ what should she do? Get Harry and Ginny could be dead by the time they got there or go ahead and creep around until she found her?_

_Her options didn't seem that good. After a few moments of consideration she apparated straight into the manor of the Dark Lord. Instantly she knew something was wrong, she should of appeared outside the wards do she could break in but instead she was inside what seemed to be a dining room._

_They stormed into the room in an orderly form, no hesitation, no trepidation just a thirst for her 'dirty' blood. Ginny was dragged in, tears streaming down her face and splashing noisily on the floor. She cried when the Death Eaters parted so she could see Hermione's petite figure._

"_I'm so sorry!" Ginny screamed hoarsely before being shoved to the floor, "It's all my fault!"_

"_Shush now Ginny, it's all going to be alright." She lied perfectly keeping her facial expressions blank and closed off._

_Clap._

_Clap._

_Clap. A figure emerged from the crowded room applauding her bravery and defiance. The Dark Lord had arrived. Fear implanted itself on all of the Death Eaters faces, terror running through their veins at the sight of their leader._

"_Such bravery little Mudblood, tell us where Harry Potter is hiding." His deep voice echoed along the almost invisible walls._

"_Never."_

"_I was hoping you would say that." Ginny's trembling form was grabbed fiercely from the ground and put at wand point in front of her. "Tell us or the young one dies."_

_An ultimatum, Hermione was fine gambling her own life but what about her friend's? Ginny stared into her honey eyes pleading her not to tell._

"_No…" her bottom lip quivered with doubt. Ginny smiled at her, her eyes brightening and unseeing to the green light that sped towards her. And just like that Ginerva Weasley was dead._

_Hermione screamed and kicked, punched and bit to get to her friend, sobs entering the quiet room as she attacked her retainer. Her Ginny was gone. She was alone._

_The foul creatures laughed at her pain, her misery in loosing her friend. They didn't understand love, true undying love._

_That was the night her downhill plummet began, when she first lost her self-preservation and her anger grew stronger to life in general._

_Lord Voldemort was clever, torturing her to the brink of death like he had done so before every time she was captured. After some of the men had their way with her almost lifeless body, he sent her back to the The-Boy-Who-Lived as an example, a warning._

_Hermione healed herself and cleaned all her wounds, she had to tell Harry that Ginny was gone…_

"Firenze…"

"I understand that you are afraid but rest assured you will not die in this battle."

"But still…"

"Do not be afraid Omega. He shall be easier than Tom Riddle. You shall survive this time."

"I'm not scared of death Firenze but what if it happens again, I can't be captured or lose someone again."

"Then you must work alone." With that finality said the centaurs quickly departed the Hospital Wing in pursuit of the trees that surrounded the chilled stone castle.

Tom lay in his bed thinking about what he had just heard. _"She knew everything."_ He thought glumly, would he have to kill her now?

No, he couldn't. he had just come to realise that he was in love with her, so deeply in love it hurt to think of such things. How could he know he was in love though? He had never felt such things before; how could he be sure?

She was already asleep again by the time he had thought through everything he had heard. He sat down in his seat next to her bed and listened to her relaxed breathing, she looked so innocent, so pure.

After an hour her chest movements became erratic, little moans and pleas escaping her rosy lips.

"Harry? Ron? Dumbledore? Anyone please! You can't leave me here! Can-can you hear me? Can't you see me? Please! Detect the spells! You can't leave me here! Please… I'm scared Harry. Don't leave me here, they hurt me please!"

He remembered this moment from her memories he had seen, her pleas for help that were never heard. Her so-called 'friends' had come looking for her 3 months into her 6 month capture, they had found her exact location, even found the room she was being confined in but were too incompetent to check for spells active in the room.

She was in the corner of the room, bound, disillusioned and silenced having to watch them leave her behind. He had felt the emotions, how it had hurt more than anything the captors that done to her. Yet she still didn't tell them, never said anything as she didn't want to cause her friends any distress or self-loathing.

"I thought you would find me…" the sob broke free from her as she curled in on herself in a tight ball, making herself look even smaller than he thought possible.

He wrapped his arms around her and she instinctively clung to his broad shoulders, burying her face into the crevice of his neck. She felt safe here. He tucked himself into her bed and she straddled his waist clinging to him like a small child would its parent. Her thighs wrapped around his waist as her face lay on his chest. He had thought such a position as sexual but right now in this moment it was about safety and care. She hadn't felt safe and secure in years he realised.

How had she known all about Lord Voldemort? How was she supposed to kill Grindelwald alone? The full moon was in 3 days, Christmas break only a week after that. How would she survive it? Alone as well? The centaurs were selfish creatures, begging her to correct the mistakes they found in the Wizarding World. She was only a child.

* * *

Hermione Granger awoke for the first in time in 7 years feeling safe. Before she had even opened her eyes, she had felt safe, warm, comfortable and for the first time... wanted. A strong set of arms were wrapped delicately around her shoulders clutching her to a warm thick chest. She smiled, her boys were back and had come to keep her safe. They were in the tent all snuggled up and she was probably with Harry in her bed as they tried to keep warm.

She opened her eyes, yes his raven black hair was mussed all over his eyes as she slept peacefully on top of him. Everything was ok, she was safe and it had all been a nightmare. She gave him a friendly peck on the lips and snuggled into him as he came back into the land of the living. "Hermione?" he yawned.

"Harry! You won't believe the dream I had, I thought that you were..." her voice trailed off as Tom Riddle flatten down his hair and looked at her anguished. Pity lay in his eyes as he stared down at her body which was still wrapped around his.

"No..." she cried, tears swelling in her eyes, "He can't be dead. It was a dream. They can't be gone. I can't be alone!" she jumped off of him and huddled under the bed, curled in a ball rocking herself back and fro. "I can't be here!"

"Hermione..."

"I can't, I can't, I can't!" she stayed hidden under the bed, hiding from the world and its casual cruelty. "I can't. The graves! The graves! They have to be there! I can't be here!" she stood up and bashed her head against the metal frame, ignoring the pain and blood streaming from her forehead she quickly ran out of the room with a unsure Tom following her. What was wrong with her?

She ran from the castle, from her sanctuary until she had left its grounds and the wards. she kept running, kept going until she was sure she could apparate. And with a pop she was gone. Tom followed the residual trace she had caused.

She lay upon the ground screaming at the empty clearing, telling it to put the graves back. They couldn't be gone, she couldn't be here. She couldn't be here without the dead. She screamed for hours as he watched her, hidden tears haunting his eyes. She was so fragile, distressed. So young, so effected by all that had happened to her. He let her scream till her heart was content so she could let it all out.

When she was finished he picked her up, apparated back to Hogwarts and after the short stroll back put her to bed. Everything about her seemed to affect him. Her emotions healed his soul, her physical appearance caused new things in his body, and her personality lit up his heart. It wasn't how could he love her but how couldn't he? She so beautiful throughout.

However, Voldemort thought differently. He was always there in the back of his mind when he was with Hermione whispering horrible, despicable things to him. Telling him how to take her, how to hurt her, how to kill her. Voldemort didn't like her one bit, he did notice how intelligent and pretty she was though, how he could use her to his advantage. It was sick the things he whispered to Tom.

Sometimes he could feel his control slipping around Hermione, feel Voldemort taking over, it scared him how close he had been to losing control... again. That night he had thought Voldemort was going to kill her or torture her. The thought terrified him, what if he did hurt her? Would she know it wasn't actually him? He couldn't tell her anything about Lord Voldemort though, he wouldn't let Tom say anything to her.

The things she had done, the things that he actually knew of, she could be as dark as him. The things the centaurs wanted her to do, how did they and Hermione know who he was? How did they know so much about him?

He sat in his bedside chair and slept uncontested.

* * *

_"Harry! Stop it!" she giggled gleefully as her best friends tickled her, they wanted to try a drinking game and she had protested. "Ron! That-that tickles!" _

_they were safe, hidden deep in the Forbidden Forest with no human life around for over a 100 miles radius. "Come on Hermione, we deserve some fun!" They had said._

_"Ok, ok. But only a little!" she laughed as they lunged towards the bottle and grabbed 3 shot glasses. "Lets play have you ever."_

_Looking back on this memory she could see how childish and naive they were, all alone in a tent being hunted and they were playing about. But it was something they needed, a release from all the worry, all the pressure. They could be children for just a few hours..._

_"I have never fallen off a broom." Hermione stated smugly knowing that they would have tp drink._

_"That's cheating." Ron smirked. "You know you have never even tried to ride a broom."_

_"Oi! I did try in 1st year actually."_

_"Hermione you sat on the broom and then got off, you didn't even take your feet off the bloody ground." Harry chuckled patting her on the back._

_"Well... that's besides the point..."_

_Harry refilled the glasses with the strongest Firewhiskey in Britain, the smell wafting around the tent. "My turn. I have never eaten a dragon's egg."_

_Hermione and Ron shared a look before picking up their glasses and slinging them back. "Ok what's the story?"_

_Ron burst out laughing as he grabbed Hermione and cuddled her into his side explaining how they had been dared by Charlie when he had come home from Romania to try one of the eggs. What they didn't know was that the certain breed of dragon's eggs acted as an aphrodisiac to humans._

_"Wow that was fun wasn't it Mione!" Ron smiled, "My turn now... Well. I have never had sex in the Potions cupboard?"_

_She smirked evilly before grabbing her shot and drinking it quickly, the stuff tasted horrible!_

_"Hermione Jean Granger! What would your mother say!" Harry smiled childishly before tussling her hair about like one would do to a child._

_"Oh shush you! I know you did it with Ginny in the Gryffindor common room."_

_"Wh-How!"_

_"I wanted to get a book out of the library and had to go through the common room to the entrance but found you two going at it like rabbits against my favourite chair. I haven't sat in the seat since!" Harry gaped at her, eyes wide as a blush started to spread across his cheeks._

_Ron on the other hand yelped and cried, "I always loved to sit in that seat, that's why as soon as you stopped sitting in it Hermione I sat there! Why on Earth didn't you tell me! Ewww!"_

_"Well... I have never been caught having sex in the corridors." Hermione said changing the subject._

_Ron's shoulders dropped as he drank his shot. "Who with Ron?" Harry asked._

_He mumbled incoherently. "What was that?"_

_"Lavender Brown..."_

_Hermione and Harry shared a look before falling off their seats and rolling around on the floor clutching their sides as the pain of too much laughing hit. "Really Ron. She looks like a drowned cat and is so thin that if you blew in her direction she would break! And you said you didn't like her!" Harry gulped out as he helped Hermione up._

_"Well I changed my mind?"_

_"Whatever, who caught you?" Hermione questioned as Ron turned a distressing shade of white._

_"Hagrid..." This time Harry and Hermione completely lost it as they almost split their sides with laughter. "That's not the worst part, after Lavender left he tried to give me pointers and tips!" That comment nearly killed them._

_"I love you guys!" Hermione stated as she put away the alcohol. "We have a busy day tomorrow, no more for us or we will be too hungover to find the bloody Horcrux!"_

_Smiles and hugs were given as they went to bed._

_Little did Hermione know that she would bury her friends tomorrow..._

* * *

Class continued as normal the next day but Hermione was on edge the whole time, she was going to fight Grindelwald alone. She had already changed the timeline, it was supposed to be Albus who captured and placed him in prison. She had made such a dramatic difference being here. What if her actions led to her friends never being born...

She had woken up in Riddle's room... again. He was sat next to his bed hunched over as he slept. He was looking after her, the greatest mass murder of the century was looking after her, a Mudblood. But he didn't need to know that? Their friendship had grown over the months, she trusted him to a certain extent after realising that he wasn't Voldemort, he just... housed him? Tom Riddle wasn't necessarily evil. Just misguided by the spirit inside him, that extra voice that talked to him, whispered things into his ear.

"Did you hear about the upcoming Slug Club meeting Miss Delacour?" Slughorn had asked her in Potions, distracting her from her Calming Draught. The simplest miscalculations could make it explode.

"No Sir."

Ahh! Good I caught you then. It's on Friday because it's the full moon and we want to make it extra special so are holding it partially on the balcony on the second floor." Friday, the day she would have to kill Grindelwald. "The lighting should be excellent!" he said enthusiastically.

"Yes Sir, and what of the attire?"

"Formal my dear so put your best robes on, especially as you're the only girl attending." _"Sexist prat!"_

"Thank you Sir." Hermione spit out completely disgusted at his comment.

The fat little hobbit-sorry Professor toddled off as she tried to complete her Potion, it wasn't difficult only time wasting.

After adding the horned toad she brought her completed vial up to his desk and threw it at him before returning to her station. The rest of the class was just finishing as she tidied up her bag and left the room. She would attend the party, she deserved some fun and after she would complete her task. She would kill Grindelwald.

**Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks all those who reviewed, please do again as it makes me so happy. This chapter is quite dramatic! So prepare yourselves!**

Have you ever known you were going to die? Hermione did. She could feel it in every heartbeat, as it slowed and weakened in anticipation. She could feel the life draining out of her, feel the memories and the thoughts halter and dissipate. Hermione Jean Granger knew she was going to die.

The centaurs had been wrong, she knew that when Firenze had come to her and told her what she had to do, her duty for mankind. She was a child, even at 21; she was a child in war, the innocent that was always in the middle of the battlefield.

When she was given the task, she knew. It was just… intuition. It made sense that she would die there at the hands of Grindelwald. She would miss so much of life, the chance to save the future, help all the people who needed it; she would miss the chance to love again. But she would gain just as much in death, her family, the chance to forget.

Was it so bad to die today? She had been expecting it for so long, waiting for it to embrace her. She would be home, a place she hadn't seen in years, a place she had thought she would never see again. But she would leave her friends behind, she would leave the chance to save everyone and everything, was she selfish enough to die? Was it fair for her to die and leave all her friends to be born and then to die when she could save them?

It always came down to her being the last one left, being the only hope. So much pressure, so much… hate. Why hadn't she killed Tom Marvolo Riddle when she had the chance? He didn't deserve the right to live. She was going to die; her hopes to change him would never happen because she wouldn't be there to do it. She was being selfish.

Hermione wished she had told someone what she had to do, so they would know what she had given up, sacrificed for them. She wished she had written a letter to Harry and Ron then given it to Dumbledore so they would have known just how much she loved them.

* * *

Hermione Delacour entered the Slug Club party earlier that evening dressed in white. White silk grazed her skin and settled neatly on her hips before trailing down to her knees. She looked so innocent which acted as an oxymoron as she was anything but. Her curls were neatly fixed away from her eyes which were enhanced with a small amount of make-up. She had her black high heels on with a blade tucked inside them but was invisible to onlookers. As well as that blade she had another attached to her thigh with her wand holster and her wand tucked safely inside. She was prepared.

She stood out in the drab colours of black, grey and blue suits, the only female present in the room. Slughorn didn't let them have dates in this time apparently unless they were also in the club, as she was the only girl many boys had been up and asked her but she had declined politely.

All turned to look at her and she blushed profusely, hating to be the centre of attention she quickly tapped her way to Slughorn and greeted him. The old fool asked her to dance with him.

She stood alone with him in the centre of the floor twirling around beautifully, no other couple present as men do not dance formally with other men. So all attention was focused on her.

One by one they came up and introduced themselves before asking her to dance. She accepted each offer. She was going to have fun tonight, not regret anything as she would probably not be there in the morning. She had planned everything...

He watched her from afar, captivated by her beauty, her smile. She was so beautiful. Tom walked up to her slowly, trepidation in every step before he tapped the boy dancing with her who looked at him with hate, he understood why, he was taking her away from him; the bell of the ball. Hermione smiled up at him, her dainty features lighting up to see him.

"Thank Merlin! A familiar face that I actually like." she giggled in his ear as he twirled her around, lifting her up by her small waist. When he set her down she laughed and grabbed onto him to regain her balance. "Don't do that again! I hate these heels!" she said smiling brightly.

"You look magnificent Hermione." he said into the shell of her ear as he bent down to look into her eyes. She smiled shyly at him as he lifted his arm up for her to spin under. She giggled as she twirled around still keeping eye contact with him. He looked so handsome, so much like Harry did all those years ago. But in this Slug Club she didn't want to hide, she wanted to embrace every second she had left.

"Thank you Tom, for everything..." she kissed his cheek and walked away, her heels clicking on the floor as she went to her next dance partner. He stared after her, his unspoken words on love still laying on his lips and he watched her. She curtsied to the next man and took his arm before starting to dance, she outshone him in everything, the poor bloke thinking he had a chance with her. She was his...

Hermione danced with the faceless man thinking of how little time she had left. She was probably never going to see the next sunrise, never feel it's rays upon her skin. She wanted to feel another's warmth before she left. Another faceless man to pleasure her before she went to her probable execution.

She grabbed the young man's hand and dragged him out to the corridors, the cool air engulfing them as they left the warming charms. Hermione grabbed his chin and brought his mouth to her lips. She kissed as one would do when they thought it was their last. She brought the taller man to her, pushed her chest against his as he grabbed the straps of her dress and trailed them down her arms. She grabbed the back of his dress shirt in handfuls and pulled them from his trousers as he unbuttoned it. After it was off she unzipped his trousers and he lifted her off the floor so she could wrap her legs around his waist...

* * *

She obliviated him after they were finished and told him to return to the party. Hermione pulled her dress on properly and pulled her hair back into a tight bun to stop it from getting in her way. It was time.

Time. It always came down to it. How much you have left, how much you've had. But she was Time itself. Would she be able to control it?

She knew where Grindelwald was positioned, remembering from the books she had read about the first Wizarding war, he was in an abandoned castle on the edges of Germany. She focused on the memory of the picture of the castle in the book and apparated. She never realised that she had broken through the wards around Hogwarts, only Tom did as he ran to her as she turned and disappeared. _"How did she do that?!" _he thought angrily trying to follow her apparation but the wards interfered with his magic tracer. Where could she have gone?

He strolled through the school making his way to Dumbledore's office, the full moon lighting the stone walls and floor as he trekked quickly though the cold air. The full moon? How had he forgotten the significance of it? She was going to battle Grindelwald, alone in Germany with no help. Death would have her if she went alone.

He knew exactly where Grindelwald was located having kept track of the Dark Lord through the last 2 years. He had to know what made a Dark Lord vulnerable so had watched from afar what Grindelwald had done. His wards around the castle were terrible and he had been able to slip in after only 20 minutes of tampering which was quite some feat. Any other wards took his at least 2 hours if they were good and secure.

* * *

_His wails broke the silence every time they cut another slither of skin and tissue off. He was so large that they had decided to cut bits off until they found his skeleton, so he lay chained to a stone table and they sliced him up like one would do a dead animal. _

_Blood splashed against the walls as every cut, every incision was made. His screams kept her up each night, burrowing into her nightmares, taking away any possible peace. He was in the cells next to her, the bars making visible gaps for her to look through but she only made that mistake once. He looked like a slab of meat, nerves open to the elements, infections seeping into the vessels._

_It was like he wasn't human anymore._

_When she had escaped she gone to him, wincing as she saw what was left._

_"Go 'Ermione. Run! Don't look b'ck! Jus' run!" he spluttered, blood dripping from his mouth._

_And she ran never looking back until she was miles away._

_She had left him there to die. Hagrid didn't blame her though, she knew that. She would miss his massive grin and bear crushing hugs. She would miss his terrible cooking and love for the unusual creatures. But she would never miss the sound of his screams when they killed him as she ran._

* * *

Hermione closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath before entering the building. Blood splattered the walls and dripped artistically down the walls.

They entered from every hall, blocking her escape and channelling her in the direction of a room, herding her. She was still in her dress and heels so as she walked into the throne room she undid the straps of her heels and threw them off quickly, standing bare boot in front of the throne. On the stone seat in front of her sat Gellert Grindelwald, the Dark Lord of this era. He looked to be in his late twenties with dusty blond hair, he looked human, so unlike the next Dark Lord following his demise.

Gellert stared at the young girl in front of him. _"How did she get in?" _She had managed to get through his wards so his followers had led her to him so he could inquire for information and then kill her. He needed to sort out his wards again.

"Hello?" he said, his voice echoing around the stone archways.

"Hello." Hermione replied.

"And you are?"

"Time."

It all made sense, she had survived his devious plan using the dead founders, he didn't know the name of Time as one of his followers had taken the blood of every new student that had joined Hogwarts. So here she stood...

"What is your name?"

"Hermione Granger."

It suited her, an unusual and beautiful name, it defined her really. She was the most powerful being on Earth and she didn't have a clue. He could kill her and absorb her power or use her.

"And why are you here Hermione Granger?"

"I'm here to kill you Grindelwald."

_"Straight to the point I see." _He flicked his wand and sent sparks up, warning his followers of a potential threat.

"And why would you want to do that?"

"Your death will confirm my life, I won't be a target for the rest of my existence."

"How old are you?"

"I am Time, I have no age."

"How old is Hermione Granger?"

"Not old enough. I am 21 but 16 at the same time."

"I don't understand?"

"Neither do I."

She took out her wand from her thigh holster and pointed it at him. Grindelwald stood from his throne and walked towards her. She sent an "Expelliarmus!" to warn him but he held onto his wand and continued on. He stood above her gazing down and grabbed the edge of her wand before taking it from her hand. She stared up at him biting her lip.

"Are you really going to kill me Hermione?" he whispered in her ear.

"Yes..." she grabbed her wand back and threw curse after curse while he was pushed back by the force of her power. She was brilliant, so talented and so powerful. He threw spells back but nothing hit, all bouncing off an invisible shield, a shield she hadn't created knowingly. It was like she was protecting herself wandlessly as well as subconsciously.

She really was going to kill him so he called in his followers, 100's flooded his throne room. Over the next 20 minutes she took them down, killing some so viciously and bluntly that the cleverer ones just ran away. He sat back on his throne and observed her actions, how could he capture her? She had every side covered and kept twirling around like dancers to see every target.

Her dress was covered in blood, the white stained crimson, rips all over its silk material. She was majestic, magnificent and she would be his ultimate weapon. Only a few of his followers were left standing, each dropping one by one when she pointed her wand at them.

He raised his wand a fired a "Stupefy!" at her back when she turned. As she was distracted it hit her knocking her out instantly. She fell to the blood soaked floor and bounced twice before settling on the ground. The dead lay around her in a widening circle, all the men a child had taken down. She was wonderful! He coud use her, teach her, make her indestructible.

He picked up her small frame and started to walk out of the room, he had about 10 minutes before she woke up. If he took her to the dungeons he could keep her trapped and start to convert her. _"Yes, she goes to Hogwarts, I can use her to kill Dumbledore."_

Tom entered the building and followed the trail of bodies to the throne room to find a man picking up the unconscious body of Hermione Delacour. She was covered in blood and surrounded by the dead bodies. She had tried to take down Grindelwald and failed.

"Put her down!" he shouted, running to her and pointing his wand at the Dark Lord.

"She's miraculous isn't she?" Grindelwald replied hugging her to his body.

"Put her down!"

"You don't understand what she is do you? The power she contains, she is the Omega! I can't let that energy go."

"Let her go."

"Ha! I can't believe it! You're in love with her!" the Dark Lord chuckled and placed her down in his throne. She sank down as her limps were floppy so ended up leaning on one of the arms, looking like she had fell asleep there.

"Diffindo!"

"Protego!"

"Avada Kedavra!" Grindelwald sidestepped it.

"Expulso!"

"Protego!"

The fight continued for 20 minutes before a green light flew from Hermione's wand hitting Gellert Grindelwald and killing him instantly. It was over. She stood up slowly and made her way to Tom, smiling brightly. She had survived.

It happened in slow motion, the cloak with the Deathly Hallows marking entered the room and pointed their wand at Tom behind his back. Her smile dropped from her face as she ran to Tom, she wasn't going to make it in time. The purple flames flew from his wand and to Tom's back, Hermione pushed him out the way. His eyes widened as he fell to the floor and watched as the light hit her.

Tom caught Hermione as she fell to the ground panting, her eyes were shut as her chest heaved uncontrollably pain rippling through her.

"Hermione? Can you hear me?"

Only a groan replied as she gripped her stomach and bend over wincing.

"My wand. Whe-where's my wand?" she spluttered out feeling around for her wooden stick.

"Here!" he quickly gave it to her and watched mesmerised as she used all the healing spells she remembered being used on her when Antonin Dolohov had used that spell on her. It still bloody hurt as much!

"What was that spell?"

"I have no idea. What are you doing here Tom?"

"I-I couldn't leave you to battle Grindelwald alone could I. I was awake when you were talking to the centaurs."

"You shouldn't have come! It's dangerous!"

"I know. You nearly died!"

"I am trained!"

"Didn't seem like it!"

"For Merlin's sake Tom! You are a child!"

"What? Your younger than me!"

"Go back to Hogwarts while I sort this out!"

"No! Stop telling me what to do!"

"Don't mess with things you do not understand!"

Tom grabbed her arms and shook her lightly. "I'm not a child Hermione! Stop treating me like one."

"I'm sorry Tom, it's still dangerous." Hermione grabbed his arm and apparated through Hogwarts wards and into his rooms.

"How is that even possible Hermione! You have broken the laws of magic. Hogwarts is-was impenetrable!"

"See you later Riddle."

* * *

Whatever had happened Hermione knew Grindelwald wasn't dead, that was why she got Tom away from the danger. She couldn't risk his life after saving it. When she appeared back in the castle she saw him sat on his throne, regally looking down his nose at the deceased below him.

"Just you and me now Time?"

Hermione pulled her knife from her thigh holder and threw it at him, it had taken her months to perfect but it was magically enhanced to protect against any type of magical disturbance, it would hit its target.

"Protego!" the shield appeared but the knife went through cleanly, Gellert's eyes opened in shock as the knife entered the shield and embedded itself in his chest. Hermione walked towards his fallen form in satisfaction. It really was over. His eyes blinked repeatedly as he stared at her intently. He was dying.

"If I can't have you no-one will Omega!" he thrusted the knife out of his chest and pulled his arm back. Hermione saw what he had done, surprise masking her face.

He threw the knife.

She felt her life zip across her eyes. So this was it? Well she had taken down a Dark Lord, not like she hadn't done anything in life. She had actually done so much. Gellert Grindelwald had passed over to the afterlife as the knife zoomed through the air. Yeah she had done enough in life.

The knife had contact with her stomach and lodged itself in her flesh, a breath escaped her lips as she gasped doubling over. Her dress was ruined; a pity.

She lay on the ground staring up at the open sky through the stone archways, the stars sparkling brightly. It wasn't ever going to be fair. Hermione pulled the knife out, feeling all the blood spurting out and soaking her dress and the floor around her. She gasped in pain as she threw her dagger away. It hadn't been such a good invention in the end it seemed.

So there she lay. She was dying. She could feel it in every heartbeat, as it slowed and weakened in anticipation. She could feel the life draining out of her, feel the memories and the thoughts halter and dissipate. Hermione Jean Granger knew she was going to die.

The centaurs had been wrong, she knew that when Firenze had come to her and told her what she had to do, her duty for mankind. She was a child, even at 21; she was a child in war, the innocent that was always in the middle of the battlefield.

When she was given the task, she knew. It was just… intuition. It made sense that she would die there at the hands of Grindelwald. She would miss so much of life, the chance to save the future, help all the people who needed it; she would miss the chance to love again. But she would gain just as much in death, her family, the chance to forget.

Was it so bad to die today? She had been expecting it for so long, waiting for it to embrace her. She would be home, a place she hadn't seen in years, a place she had thought she would never see again. But she would leave her friends behind, she would leave the chance to save everyone and everything, was she selfish enough to die? Was it fair for her to die and leave all her friends to be born and then to die when she could save them?

It always came down to her being the last one left, being the only hope. So much pressure, so much… hate. Why hadn't she killed Tom Marvolo Riddle when she had the chance? He didn't deserve the right to live. She was going to die; her hopes to change him would never happen because she wouldn't be there to do it. She was being selfish.

Hermione wished she had told someone what she had to do, so they would know what she had given up, sacrificed for them. She wished she had written a letter to Harry and Ron then given it to Dumbledore so they would have known just how much she loved them.

It was so hard living. So much effort!

Hermione watched the stars, they were so beautiful, so free. Each one shining, individually they were something to look at but together, they were artwork, set out to make detailed arrangements. She wanted to be a star. A part of something so much bigger than herself.

She could hear the dead calling to her for probably the last time. Her name was repeated sounding like it was echoing down the white hallway, the white light beckoning to her.

Yeah it was Time.


	13. Chapter 13

**Really sorry that I haven't updated properly for a while so this is just a short chapter to keep you going and it is completely past tense. It's about Hermione's life with the boys and everyone.**

**Really upsetting! Be prepared, it's like the George scene!**

**Enjoy and please review!**

**I Do Not Own Harry Potter!**

_They were safe._

_Harry was back at headquarters with Ginny probably relaxing after the battle at Hogsmeade and Ron was with his brothers at their joke shop, Fred wasn't feeling well as his ear was still healing so they were having a brother's day together._

_Hermione strolled through the dark corridors of her house, her footsteps echoing lightly as the balls of her feet made contact with the ground, she was just going to grab a drink before she got dressed, baby Teddy was with his parents so she had decided she was going to visit the whole family and play with the little guy. He showed that there was still innocence in the world, that the war was worthwhile just for the future generations that needed a chance._

_After guzzling her drink and changing into a comfy shirt with jeans, Hermione grabbed her shoes and apparated to Diagon Alley. She had decided to buy the little one a toy when she went to visit him. After looking in the toy shops she found an adorable brown teddy bear that she knew would be loved by Teddy. It was perfect, beautiful clean fur that shined when light hit it and smelled lovely; like flowers._

_Smiling brightly Hermione paid quickly and went outside to apparate, the whole street was quiet, like a graveyard; every minute sound so much louder. The quiet was oddly peaceful, like a suspense was in the air that was waiting for something to happen. A black cat ran past Hermione's legs, its agile legs twisting and turning as it ran down the stone cobbled ground. Just before it turned the corner it turned back to stare at Hermione who looked confused back at it, tilting her head in question. The cat bowed its head almost in respect before dashing off._

"_I wonder what that was about, black cats are known to be… death omens…" she thought startled, what had happened to the boys, were they ok?_

_Hermione took a deep breath in preparation for apparition unaware of the obsidian cat that sat on a bricked wall staring down at her, pity lay in its eyes, a sadness too deep for mortals to understand. The cat started to fade slowly, starting at its tail and up to its head, with a puff of smoke the cat disappeared; never to be seen again._

_She landed in the house which was eerily quiet, where was the laughter that always followed the baby? With trepidation she started to walk up the spiral stairs and into Teddy's room. Pain. It was in the air, like moisture in a rainforest, it clung to the fabrics and pictures that lay in the hallway. _

_She dropped the bear._

"_NOOO!" her anguished scream echoed remorsefully down through the house, it bounced off the walls and tore against the objects that lay in its way. Her magic went wild, like electricity it pulsed around and damaged anything it touched. The room was destroyed in seconds, paperwork floated down calmly and lay on the ground. She opened the door._

_The beautiful blue walls that she had helped paint were not that pacific colour anymore, angry red lay against the colour creating cruel patterns. So much blood…_

_Remus, dear Remus was the closest to the door, it was like Harry all over again, he had died to protect his son. His eyes were wide and searching, he probably died looking at Tonks, the closest to the cot._

_Blood dripped off her hand that lay over the cot whilst her body sagged against it. A gesture to her son, it screamed protection and love. Her eyes were fixed on Remus, forever seeing her husband's dead body before hers joined it. Her hair was stuck to her face with the deep red that covered the walls. The white cot was stained brightly with it. She had died for her son. Her hand reached out to her baby, Nymphadora Tonks died for the little one. _

_Tears streamed down Hermione's face, her mouth stuck in a frozen scream, her friends were dead… she approached the cot slowly, really wanting to run the other way, not wanting to see what she knew would lie there. Why look at what she already knew lay there? Why do that to herself?_

_A soft hiccup disturbed her thoughts, she stopped startled in her step. A cry that sang so loudly burst from the cot, a tiny hand reached up to grasp his mother's last gesture. "No…" she hurried forward._

_A tiny face stared up at her, his hair changing colour so rapidly, Teddy's arms reached out to her, wanting to be picked up. She put her wand away and grabbed him under his arms then sat him on her hip. "Shh. Shh Teddy don't you worry." She repeated more for her sake. After he calmed down she put him back in his cot and turned back to the bodies. It was time to put them to rest._

_She apparated holding their wrists, the meadow lay around her, gravestones already marking her lost family, her lost friends, her… hope. So many gone already. She used magic to dig the graves and placed them in carefully. After finishing the gravestones she returned to Teddy. She picked him up gently and walked out without looking back. _

_A glance back when she was outside, her eyes looked lost, they glazed over with sorrow and grief as she looked at the window that held the rubber duck curtains. She nuzzled into the sleeping baby's neck and whispered desolately "Fiendfyre." A lone dragon of fire circled the house in almost an embrace, the fire licked at the gate near Hermione but with a glance at the approaching fire it stopped. She held the baby tighter and apparated away with a last longing look at the building._

_They all asked questions as she gave them Teddy's sleeping form, where were Remus and Tonks? What had happened? She ignored them and retreated to her room. She had to do something, someone had to survive this war, someone had to remember what they were fighting for. Someone deserved to live. _

_She grabbed a piece of parchment._

_Dearest Theodore Lupin,_

_The war started for so many reasons, so many cruel stupid reasons and your parents fought against the people that wished to destroy the natural order of the world. They did the right thing. They died for the right thing. They died for you. To save you._

_I always admired them, their determination, their love for each other, their love for you. You were such a beautiful baby, you deserved a life without troubles, without worries for your safety or friends. We tried to give that to you. I will continue to try to give you that, I may join your parents in my fight for that but it's alright, it's the right thing to die for._

_I have given you to a distant family for your protection, you will survive, you will live on and if we die we will live on through you. This letter is instructed to be given to you on your 17__th__ birthday, your parents would have wished to have been there to see it._

_I guess I should wish you a happy birthday._

_I love you my dearest Teddy, my little hope for the world._

_Love, (Aunty) Hermione Granger xx_

_She put the letter in an envelope and wrote his full name on the outside before grabbing his baby blanket and going back into the living room. Harry and Ron sat hugging the baby._

"_Hermione?"_

"_Give him to me Harry."_

"_What? Why?"_

"_Give me the baby now!"_

_His shocked face stared at her. "What are you going to do?" he clutched Teddy to his chest and turned against her to shield him from her. Why? She was trying to save him._

"_NOW! Harry! You didn't see them, I'm going to do what they tried to do! I'm going to save one soul in this dreadful war. Now give me Theodore." With a hesitant exhale Harry passed him away. _

"_Where are you taking him?"_

"_I can't tell you, the location has to die with me. He must be safe."_

_And with that she was gone._

* * *

_It was like the twins all over again, the loss of one drove the other insane. They had been fighting at Hogwarts, all the members of the Order as well as the students of Dumbledore's Army against the Death Eaters. Hermione and Ron's job was to get Harry out safely, they was what they had to focus on… but it was hard to do that while the rest of their friends dropped around them, huddled under the Invisibility Cloak and stumbling quickly through the fighting they watched as each of their comrades fell around them. And they could do nothing about it._

_Lucius Malfoy was a bastard, the curses he used against the children were brutal, ruthless, and sadistic. His face in a wide smile that spoke so much about his state of mind, his smile wide with enjoyment. Hermione cringed just looking at him._

_A breeze threw the cloak off the trio as Lucius turned prowling for his next victim, his eyes settled on Harry with a bead like precision that could only be compared to a hawk; they had to get away._

"_Hermione, take them and go!" A voice screamed near them. "Parvati! Parvati come help me quickly." Padma called raising her wand as the Death Eater, Hermione stared at her boys whose eyes were watching the scenes unfold nearby._

"_Go." She whispered and threw the cloak over them, Harry protested loudly. "Ron take him away. Don't look back for me, promise me."_

"_I promise." Ron whispered. "Just… return to us. Please."_

"_I will, you'll be sick of me in the end."_

_Harry fought against Ron's large bulk, his height and weight working for him as he pulled a struggling Harry with him and tugged the cloak over him completely._

_Hermione turned to observe the twins duelling Lucius, both were struggling against the raw power he emitted. _

"_Is he safe?" Parvati called hopefully to her while her eyes focused on the dark form in front of her. Hermione called a positive yes to her and joined them. Padma turned to look at her and smile in thanks but Hermione's face paled as she saw to the side of her, Lucius throw a dark fog at them, it was so quick, so evil as it surrounded Padma._

_Her scream imprinted itself on Hermione's soul, it wasn't loud but completely gut-wrenching, so broken and agonising it tore away another part of her sanity. Padma fell to the ground with a soft thud, no movement came from her limp form._

"_NOOO!" Parvati screeched. "NOOO!" her wail crippled Hermione, she was lost in the hate and despair in that noise. "NOOO Padma! NOOO!" Parvati fell to the floor on her knees, almost in prayer, next to her lost sister. Lucius' sick grin widen on his face as he approached, Hermione was frozen in place with bewilderment. She couldn't think, couldn't do anything as she watched._

_When he was before the alive sister she looked up, her eyes full of tears and determination as she met his bright eyes. He raised his wand._

"_What are you going to do now blood traitor?" he taunted as he snatched up the wand she had dropped when she fell beside her sister._

"_What are you going to do to save yourself?" he cruelly laughed. With that, Parvati spat at his black dragon-hide boots, hitting them perfectly. She looked back up to him her face filled with defiance. She cracked a bloodied smile, her teeth pink with her own red blood cells. _

"_Your boots are dirty." She smirked and closed her eyes preparing for the end, her knees still holding her up, she wouldn't die on the floor like an animal, that was what they wanted._

_Hermione suddenly kicked into action and took off running, raising her wand to do something, anything, Parvati turned to the loud sound of her feet hitting the floor, her eyes blinked open. Her eyes whispered to Hermione. "No, go, save them all, I have to join Padma." She smiled kindly at her old roommate, and closed her eyes again, unseeing to the green light that burst beautifully from the dark wizard's wand and glided through the air to her. _

_Why was such an evil spell so beautifully, so majestic in appearance?_

_Hermione hid behind and tree to catch her breath. Her chest rose quickly trying to get oxygen but it didn't seem to come, she just kept gasping. The roars of war surrounded her, the screams of pain, of victory, of desperation echoed in the fields. Hermione turned to the forest and walked away into the darkness. No one saw her retreating body or the two wands she carried in her hand…_

* * *

_They ran through the corridors like a bat out of hell, sprinting for their lives as the back smog chased them and licked at their heels. The six of them, Harry, Ron, Luna, Neville, Lavender and her, tripped up the stairs, if they could make it to the Room of Requirement then they would be safe from the deadly fog. They had already seen what it did as it dissolved through Katie Bell's flesh, she was still alive as the process occurred, it kept her organs intact until the very end so she would feel everything as it destroyed her from the outside. She screamed for death, anything to make the pain stop._

_They had tried everything to stop it but no spells, jinxes or curses worked. Potions didn't stop it either. The only chance of survival where it was concerned was to outrun it, once it had a trace on you it would follow you until your destruction, you either had to hide in an impenetrable place or apparate away. The latter was out of the question as they were in Hogwarts so they ran, ran with all their might._

_Lavender and Luna were falling behind, the girls having short legs and being unused to the physical activity unlike Hermione who was just as quick as the boys. Lavender fell back even further, metres behind Luna whose small stick-like arms were pumping like crazy, her normal dream-like facial expression nowhere to be found on her. She understood this was serious, this could be the end. Harry was the first at the wall and quickly started pacing as the others joined him, Hermione watched Luna run around the corner to join them but Lavender was so far behind. _

_They all charged into the room and to the other side while Hermione stood at the door ready to slam it as soon as Lavender entered it so the fog couldn't get in. The pants of Lavender could be heard as she ran around the corner of the corridor. Hermione watched with trepidation that the smog was gaining on her, if Lavender entered the room then so would the fog which would then kill them all. _

"_Lavender quicker!" she screamed as her knuckles turned white as she gripped the wooden door even more. Lavender's head swivelled around quickly to glance at the nearing black wall following her, her eyes widened as she turned to stare at Hermione who was only metres in front. _

_She had no choice, if she let her in then they all died, she had to shut the door._

_Lavender held eye contact but her mouth opened in a scream as she realised what Hermione was about to do. Her eyes were frantic as she stared into Hermione, her eyes going into her soul. "No." her mouth seemed to form in a whisper as she processed what was happening, she didn't scream or shout already realising that wouldn't change her mind, Hermione watched sadly as Lavender made it an inch from the door. She was so close. The fog was closer to Lavender than she was to the door. _

_The door slammed shut in Lavender's face, hitting her nose with a clunk, Hermione would always remember her face as she gaped at her with bewilderment and surprise, a tear escaped her lids as she shut them tight in despair, she was as much monster as the demons that created that smog. What she did was for the greater good…_

_The greater good, in that moment Hermione understood why Dumbledore struggled so much doing everything for the greater good. Sacrifices had to be made, you normally had to make them but they never seemed to involve you, you always sacrificed someone else._

"_Hermione?" a whisper in her ear caught her attention, strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her into their chest._

"_S-she wasn't quick enough…" she sobbed into Harry's chest, her arms bunched up against the muscle of his pectoral majors as she cried hysterically. "She wasn't quick enough…"_

"_Shh. I know." He stroked her hair comfortingly, his breath tickled her neck, she stared into green eyes, hers wide and shiny and saw that he was tearing up as well. "We have to be quick enough from now on, me, you and Ron, we have to be quick enough." He whispered into her ear as she stared at Neville and Luna, she understood the meaning behind his words. They had to survive even if the others didn't._

"_We need to split up, boys you go to the Headmaster's office, Luna and I will go the Chamber…_

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**Hope you enjoyed the past tense, it gives you a little more history. Remember it wasn't in chronological order! **

**Please leave a review, I hope to get to fifty soonish, within the next few chapters hopefully.**

**If you didn't understand anything, through the story either ask in a review or PM me.**

**I'll write again soon.**


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